Darkpaw
by RifkaMarie
Summary: An Exorcist returns to HQ after being absent on an extended mission. However, she brings with her news of a city under siege, a city which may turn out to be her home town. She will need the help of her friends to confront her parents, and also her true feelings. (Katsura Hoshino owns all DGM characters/settings. Rifka and other original characters are mine.)
1. Return of Rifka

2/28/2012 (While writing this story, I suddenly realized that I use the word 'suddenly' too much… Go, go gadget Thesaurus!)

**Disclaimer: ****Hoshino Katsura is the owner of all things DGM**. 

**Rifka and other original characters are mine. Except when they're not. (hehe)**

**Author's Note: This story takes place after the end of the Anime, but before the Manga continues.  
**

* * *

***Prologue***

_The little girl finished her glass of milk and set it on the nightstand. With a sigh, she snuggled back against her pillows and gazed up at the woman sitting beside her bed._

"_Mommy, did you and Daddy really meet in Brazil?"_

_The woman smiled tenderly to her. "Yes we did. He came to speak to my father about buying land in the area, and when he met me he simply fell right in love."_

"_It was just like that? Was it like that for you, too?"_

"_It was just like that, baby girl, for us both. My father saw that we could not be separated, so he gave your father his blessing. And so, when he returned home, he brought me with him as his bride. He told me the townsfolk would be happy, but they celebrated for days! I was amazed!"_

_The girl was silent for a moment, thoughtful, and then she looked up at her mother. "Mommy, are there monsters in Brazil?"_

_Her mother considered her words seriously before smiling gently. "Every place has monsters, honey, but that's what your Daddy is for. He'll protect you from everything."_

_The little girl's eyes were slipping shut and she yawned. "I'm really looking forward to seeing Brazil, Mommy."_

"_I know you are, honey. Now shh, get some sleep. You have a big day ahead." The woman kissed the child's forehead and stroked her hair away from her eyes. When she stood to turn down the light, a scar across the child's right eyebrow was briefly highlighted. Then the light switched off, and the woman gently closed the child's door._

***Fifteen Years Later***

When Allen Walker left his room on what was promising to be a brilliant Friday morning, he believed it would be a pretty typical day. That changed immediately when he saw Lenalee running toward him looking alarmed, but lovely in a ruffled skirt and stockings that matched her black and red Exorcist jacket. He could see the unassuming red bracelets around her ankles that he knew to be her Anti-Akuma weapon.

"Allen! Have you seen Kanda?"

Allen stared at her, making a face. She knew full well that he tried his best, whenever possible, to avoid the violently grumpy exorcist, as he never seemed to know if something he might say was going to set him off.

She must have guessed what his expression meant because she waved her hands and looked around. "Sorry, never mind! Just help me find him!"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

There was a touch of panic to her face now. "Wrong? No! Not wrong, really, per se… I've already sent him to Komui's office, the science lab, and the library, but I've lost track of him! I thought he might have gone to his room, but he's not there! I've just got to convince him he needs to go somewhere other than the cafeteria for a few more hours. That's all!"

Allen blinked at her, and then peered at her suspiciously. "You're throwing a welcome home party for someone, aren't you? Has an exorcist just returned from a mission?"

She nodded, looking around quickly, keeping an eye out for Kanda. "Her name is Rifka and she was away on a mission for a really long time. I heard they sent her all the way from Brazil to Russia! Brother told me he's not allowed to discuss the details of it, so no one knows why."

Allen nodded thoughtfully. "Okay… I still don't see why you have to keep Kanda away from the cafeteria. He never goes to those parties anyway – unless it's by accident."

Lenalee continued to look over her shoulder as she spoke, as though nervous of being overheard. "He would want to go to this one, trust me… And we can't let him because, well, because he and Rifka…"

A door burst open somewhere behind them, followed by the pounding of feet across the stone floor. Allen turned in time to see Kanda pelting out of a hallway, his sheathed sword gripped in one hand as though he hadn't had enough time to fasten it onto his waist. He pulled up short when he saw them, and pointed at them accusingly with the hilt.

"You – I just got back from the library, Lenalee… imagine my surprise when there was no one there that needed to speak to me! Did you think I wasn't going to figure it out?! _Tell me where she is!"_

Lenalee's hands shot into the air in surrender. Beside her, Allen looked aghast. "Cafeteria – she just got there! I'm so sorry – it really wasn't my idea!"

Kanda shifted slightly to point his pommel at Allen. "Was it _your_ idea?!"

Copying Lenalee, Allen's hands shot into the air. "I don't know anything about what's going on!"

"It's true, Kanda! He doesn't even know who she is, remember?!"

Kanda glared for a moment longer, as though unsatisfied. "She better still be there, or I _will_ come back for you!" Then he tore off again, both the tails of his coat and his long hair flying out behind him. As he vanished, they heard him snarl to himself; "Why does this happen _every time?!"_

Allen looked at Lenalee again. "Is he going to attack her? His expression was… quite insane."

"He… No… Well, he _might…_" The look on Lenalee's face turned awkward and she turned her face skyward. "Oh Lord, I don't even know where to begin. Come on, if we get down there before he drags her away, maybe you'll understand." She turned and headed for the stairs.

They couldn't hear a sound from inside the Mess Hall, even as they approached the doors – which made them glance nervously at each other. Upon entering, they witnessed Kanda confronting a woman sitting at the center table. Those around her that had been welcoming her back all seemed to be highly embarrassed and backing away from her.

To she was scantily clad would be putting it lightly.

Dark brown hair curled in untamed waves around her shoulders, accented by braids hung with feathers, beads, and mirrored discs. She had a sleek, muscular frame clad in a white cropped t-shirt with gold hems that hugged the fabric tightly to her chest.

She had been sipping a glass of punch while Kanda loomed over her, the tip of his sword just barely brushing against her glass, but now she set the cup down and sat back, perfectly at ease, and lifted her eyes to him as she draped an arm over the back of her chair. One of her fingers pointed blithely at the elaborate banner hanging across the mess hall.

"Yuuuuu… Come on now, you're _supposed_ to say 'Welcome Home, Rifka!' Or did you not read the banners?" She had a soft, low voice with a curious purring accent that Allen couldn't place, and her tone was playful. She fixed Kanda with a steady gaze, and Allen saw her eyes were a dark, chocolate brown, and her right eyebrow was split along the center by a white scar.

Other than Lavi, Allen had never heard anyone be so casual with Kanda – and Kanda almost always hurt Lavi for it.

"Get. UP." Kanda growled at her as a reply. He frowned at her, too. "And don't call me by my first name!" Well, that was normal, then…

She shrugged fluidly and rose to her feet slowly, revealing that she wore a split skirt over tight shorts that matched her top. The only thing that didn't match her outfit were her short black gloves, cut off at the fingertips to show her tapered, oddly black-colored fingernails… but at that moment, Allen was not looking at her hands…

"_Haminahamina_…" Allen mumbled in a daze, earning him an exasperated glare from Lenalee.

Standing also revealed that Rifka had a sword belt on, and hanging from it were two short black sheaths wrapped tightly in silver filigree. The pommels standing out of them were silver crosses set with large blue sapphires at the end. She wrapped her hands around them and gently drew the daggers out, and in the silence that befell the Hall, everyone could hear the whisper of steel on leather.

Slowly and gracefully, she swept her blades through the air, brushing Kanda's sword aside before taking a cross-wrist defensive pose. She stared calmly into his eyes, then quirked a quick half-smile.

"It's only been what," she glanced down at the slender watch on her wrist, "six hours since my last battle, Kanda? I can hardly consider this fair – to you."

Kanda bared his teeth at her. "I see you still have no respect for the uniform, or even clothing, for that matter…"

She grinned. "Oh, do you like my new outfit?" Her hand brushed casually down her side, and Allen's eyes weren't the only ones that followed it. Blinking, Kanda jerked his gaze back up to her face and snarled at her as though she had tricked him. Rifka merely laughed. "Oh good, you're still fun to tease! Come on, now, let's go!"

There was a collective gasp from the others in the room when Rifka sprang at him swiftly, but he was more than ready for her. The two of them immediately began to spar, though the way they spun around each other was almost like a dance, and had everyone watching them completely enthralled.

Allen suspected that if someone started playing music just then, no one would know this was a brawl and not a planned performance.

The ringing sounds made by their blades connecting echoed in the silent hall, and the two fighters were each so intent on the other that neither seemed to remember that they had started a sparring match in the middle of the lunch room. Heads turned from side to side as though watching a tense tennis match as the pair leapt tirelessly from floor to table, from table to wall, and from wall to floor again, never seeming to miss their target or lose their footing.

The fight ended as quickly as it had started. Rifka launched herself from floor to wall, ran a few steps and landed with a loud crash on a table. She paused there for just a split second, baiting Kanda into turning toward her, only for him to see her flipping over his head to land behind him.

When he turned again to face her, it was to see a dagger rushing up at his neck. Countering swiftly, he knocked her blade to the side and lunged forward to grab a handful of her hair, pulling her head back sharply so he could stare into her eyes. He was then distracted by the short, shallow wound on her throat and looked at her curiously.

The others saw her hands come up behind his back, and he froze when he felt the chill of her other blade on the back of his neck. She smiled up at him as he lowered the point of his sword to the floor, staring blankly at her. She leaned in close and brushed her lips against his ear.

Whatever she said, his expression abruptly became intense as he muttered something back to her, tightening his hand in her hair to pull her head back again. Her throaty, feminine chuckle and eager grin had everyone else quickly looking for something else to do. No longer being watched, the two exited the Hall together.

"Oh man, I think I need a cigarette…"

"Did you see the look on his face?"

"I'd kill to know what she said!"

Excited chatter started up immediately after the doors had closed behind Kanda and Rifka, and Allen looked askance to Lenalee. "W-wait," he stammered, "you mean… they did all that… b-be… because they… they're…" He couldn't finish, his face going scarlet.

Lenalee closed her eyes, fighting down a blush of her own. "There's no other way to say it, Allen. It's a pretty popular rumor around here that they're probably lovers."

Allen went white. "What, you mean with KANDA?!"

"Oh, well we don't really know for _sure…_" Jeri was flushed and fanning himself, his expression mischievous, "no one's successfully caught them at it anyway, but it sure makes sense! You don't _really_ think Kanda would go for a woman that couldn't kick his ass, do you?"

"She _is_ the only woman Lavi is almost too frightened of to hit on…"

Allen nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, yeah… That's really saying something… Wait, what do you mean, _successfully?!_" He flushed again at the implications, but he still didn't think it was possible for Kanda to like anybody.


	2. The Ties That Bind

After _almost_ meeting her on the day of her return, Allen had seen very little of Rifka around HQ. Once he had seen her in the Mess, ordering a large meal consisting of several red meat dishes, all of which were served either raw with a dipping sauce, or rare with thick gravy, all steaming hot. On the side, she also had a bowl of mixed vegetables and a fruit salad, and Allen had to guess that the size of her meal indicated that she was a parasite-type, like him.

She removed her gloves, revealing the cross of Innocence on each palm, and ate daintily with her fingertips. Allen marveled at how clean she stayed; mesmerized at the same time by the way she licked her fingers clean. "Jeri, have I told you lately that your cooking makes it worth coming home?" She smiled at the chef, and he was fanning himself happily in his window, beaming back at her.

"You always ask me for the most interesting things!"

"Well, that's what happens when you travel so much, right?" Her smile faltered and she looked back down at her food with a sigh.

Jeri was about to question her change of mood when Allen made his way to the window, looking famished, and the chef exclaimed with delight upon seeing him. "And here's my other culinary tester! What will it be today, Sugar?"

He needed a cart to take his order to a table, and he felt a steady gaze on him as he did. Glancing from the corner of his eye, he saw Rifka's dark eyes following him with keen interest. She was resting on her elbows with her chin on the backs of her fingers, watching him through her wild curls.

He wanted to talk to her, but he couldn't think of how to begin. Sitting down at his table, he unloaded his meal and turned his attention to the enjoyable chore of eating it all. He had just begun when Rifka finished her meal and turned in her plates to the kitchen, and he watched her leave, trying not to be distracted by the rhythmic sway of her hips.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be out in the sun!" She called over her shoulder, waving a hand. Jeri waved back to her cheerfully, and Allen lowered his head, resuming his meal. Maybe if he went outside she would still be alone?

Out in the sun, as she had promised to be, Rifka was meditating on the bank of the lake, but dammed if she wasn't sitting side by side with Kanda; the one person (maybe second after Komui) that he tried to avoid. Discouraged, Allen went back inside; passing an excited looking Lavi along the way.

Unlike Allen, Lavi thought Rifka and Kanda sitting together was perfect! He snuck up behind them, quiet as a mouse, and began to braid their hair together.

Sensing something invading his space, Kanda's eyes snapped open and he jerked his head around. With a squeak, Lavi hurriedly finished tying off the end of the braid and scurried back, just as the tip of Mugen reached toward his face, but it abruptly stopped short. There was a surprised squawk from behind him. Lavi looked up and had to cover his mouth with both hands to keep from bursting out laughing.

Kanda had been unable to reach him to hurt him because his head was being pulled back by his hair. Behind him Rifka was on the ground, looking as though she had just been sent for an unexpected tumble when Kanda had tried to attack. She slowly climbed to her feet, brushing herself off.

"What did you do?!" Kanda snarled at Lavi when he could finally lower his head.

"He tied our hair together…" Rifka showed him their braided hair, looking far more amused by it than he was. She giggled slightly at the look on his face as she started trying to undo the knot Lavi had tied at the end.

She stopped laughing to focus, then began to frown. Kanda blinked when their hair didn't automatically unravel and looked down at her. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get it untied…" She looked up at Lavi. "What did you DO?!"

Kanda took over trying to undo the knot but quickly became frustrated with it as well. He rounded on Lavi and the redhead was caught in another fit of giggles when the two of them felt their hair tug between them and they paused to glare at each other.

He stopped laughing quickly when they both moved toward him, in perfect unison, with identical expressions of murderous intent.

"It's new! From the Science department," he babbled hurriedly, "it's time release glue; it'll untie itself in an hour! I swear!"

"Not for an hour?"

There was hellfire in their eyes. Kanda's sword was already out, and now Riffie had drawn her daggers as well. "Look at his face, Kanda," she growled quietly, "he thinks we can't fight like this…" his eyes glittered and she grinned hungrily as she went on, "He must have forgotten how often we dance together…"

Kanda smiled slowly and Lavi blanched as he realized his mistake. He began to back away, holding his hands out in hopes of forestalling their attack. "Wait! Wait! Guys, we can talk about this, right?"

* * *

An annoyed pair of exorcists stood in the middle of the science division's work room, surrounded by excited and unapologetic scientists.

"The time-release glue works?!" They demanded to know. "It really works?!" More of them were gathering around a microscope which had the end of Kanda and Rifka's braid beneath it.

"Sure, it works," Rifka growled, her voice rising with her temper, "only it's more as _GLUE_ and far less as TIME RELEASE!"

In the end they were forced to leave the science division without any solution. Not too long later, though, the pair was spotted in the halls, talking quietly as they walked. From head-on they didn't seem particularly bothered by anything, though from behind it was plainly obvious that their hair was still tied together.

"Uh," a Finder stared after them, briefly speechless, then turned to his friend and lowered his voice, "do they _know_ about their…?"

His friend nodded, trying his best not to stare. "I heard the shouting in the science hall. They were pretty mad about it earlier. Apparently, it's a new experiment of Komui's so – no antidote, of course. It's so sticky they didn't want to chance a blade getting stuck in it too."

"You're kidding me… Well, they don't look so mad about it now…"

"Oh, I bet they're still mad… but what are they going to do about it? Those two don't like to waste time on pointless things."

"Hey guys!" Another Finder ran up to the first two. "Have you heard? Lavi's been brought to the hospital wing!"

Surprised, the first pair looked at the third with their eyes wide. "What? What happened to him?"

"I'm not sure – they're not letting anyone in to see him. I was really hoping you guys knew something about it." He sighed as the others shook their heads apologetically.

Meanwhile, sitting on a bed in the hospital wing, Lavi was casually holding up a sign between his hands which read "I AM A RETARDED RABBIT!" while looking completely mortified. He also looked rather bruised and rumpled, as though he had recently been severely beaten.

Kanda and Rifka would be spotted a few more times throughout the day. At lunch they sat side by side, she with her carnivorous meal and he with his soba noodles, and when they were finished they left side-by side, their braided hair still hanging between them.

In the gym, they were spotted practicing Kata in perfect symmetry, though most people already knew they did it like that anyway…

After dinner they were seen entering the science division again, this time accompanied by Lavi, whom was still clutching his RABBIT sign. Apparently, as punishment for gluing their hair together, Kanda and Rifka had used the same glue on his hands. He was complaining endlessly about having to have the head nurse feed him dinner, when he would have much preferred a pretty girl, completely unbothered by the fact that they did not seem at all sympathetic.

They were forced to leave again, after being told that there still was nothing to remove the glue, followed at length by a very forlorn Lavi. He really wasn't looking forward to another day of snickers and awkward questions. Behind him, he heard the scientists heave a collective sigh of relief. They had been so sure they were going to get trounced; they had been holding their breath.

Headquarters experienced a wild increase in rumors about the pair when they were then seen walking the halls of the dormitory with their hair still tied together, indicating that they were going to have to sleep in the same room. Was it possible there was a reason they didn't hurt any of the scientists, when they certainly should have been mad enough to?

* * *

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Moonlight from the window spilled over Rifka's hand as she traced the jagged crescent on Kanda's chest that now surrounded his strange black tattoo.

Apparently they had opted for sharing the bed, though while Rifka was beneath the sheets, Kanda was on top of them, his arms folded casually under his head and his ankles crossed. He gazed up at the ceiling thoughtfully, ignoring her touch as he asked himself silently if he wanted to tell her or not.

"I died," he said finally, his voice quiet like hers, "I thought it was for the last time… but not quite." He covered her hand and held it to his heart. "Walker brought me back… somehow."

She stared at him silently, her hand pressed to his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily beneath it. "Is that why your tattoo… expanded like this? You really reached your limit?"

"You're usually so clever," he told her with a faint smile; "I thought you might figure it out on your own."

"Usually…!" She rolled her eyes at him for being an ass, but smiled anyway. "I didn't think it could happen… so I didn't assume I knew what it meant." She fell quiet for a moment, resting her head on his shoulder. "It must have been a very intense battle."

He closed his eyes, relieved when she didn't ask him for details. It had always been something that he appreciated about her, especially when thinking about Allen had done still confused him. "It was."

"Hey Kanda, look." She held up the end of their braid to show something crumbling between her fingers and he sat up for a better look. It was the glue, and their silky hair easily slid apart and began to unravel. She smiled at him. "I can go back to my own room now, if you want me to."

He closed his eyes again, lying back. "Don't bother. Just go to sleep."

"As you wish…" She smiled and turned onto her side, burrowing under the blankets. There had been something left unsaid there, and he smiled when he heard her chuckle softly, telling him it had not gone unnoticed.

* * *

The following morning, with his stomach growling loudly, Allen stepped out of his room with his brain focused on all the things he planned on eating for breakfast. He was getting excited when an unfamiliar woman's laugh broke through his expansive menu. It took him a moment to recall it from Rifka's welcoming party. Curious, he turned a corner and was just in time to see her stepping out of a room.

For a wonderful moment, the only thing that existed was the curvy female exorcist. She looked amazing in a short, figure-hugging velour dress. The color was a rich, chocolate brown to match her eyes, and the slender straps accentuated her broad shoulders.

"What're you going to do about it?" Her words were directed over her shoulder.

Kanda was exiting the room behind her, and in response he muttered something under his breath and reached up to grab her by the shoulder. She turned in an instant, grinning as she blocked his hand with her wrist. Growling at her challenge, he shoved her forcefully against the wall and trapped her there with his body. She showed him her teeth as she hooked her leg around his hip, but he pinned her wrists to the wall at the last minute, keeping her from knocking him down.

Startled out of his daze, Allen froze in place, his face going scarlet. He was unable to do much more than watch as Rifka leaned her head back with that low, throaty chuckle of hers. She arched her back as she struggled against his grip, causing her dress to slide up over her muscular… thighs…

And then she saw Allen standing there. Her mouth formed a little 'o' and she let out a little, "Whoops!"

She was starting to laugh, but Kanda looked over sharply. When he saw who it was, his expression darkened and he growled threateningly. "Get lost, Moyashi!" His glare was so ferocious that Allen sprang to movement too quickly, running straight into the wall in his haste to escape. Jumping back around the corner, he sprinted back into the safety of his room.

As he slammed the door shut, he heard Rifka's voice on the other side of the wall, muffled by the stone, reproachful and maybe even angry. "Oh c'mon, Yuu, was that really necessary?"

Her concern made Allen flush with warmth, but he quickly blanched again. What if they really _were_ lovers and Kanda was the jealous type…?


	3. Be Careful, Moyashi

A few days after his last encounter with the two, Allen agreed with himself that he would avoid both of them, if only for his own safety. He was convinced that, while Rifka seemed to mean him no harm, Kanda certainly wouldn't hesitate to kill him just for looking at her.

So it must have been Murphy's Law that caused him to want to go to the courtyard to relax on a day when she just happened to be there. Allen froze in place and looked around indecisively. Should he run? Should he take advantage? He hadn't yet decided when the music hit his ears and he looked at her again.

She was sitting against the foot of a tree, a shiny black guitar on her lap. Her nimble fingers were playing over the chords in a tune that felt deep and thoughtful. He walked forward a few steps, but when she lifted her head and saw him, he froze like a deer in headlights.

When she stopped her music to crook a finger at him, he obediently drifted toward her and took a seat beside her in the grass, leaning back against the tree. When he was seated, she resumed the tune. Allen let his eyes slide upward to the sky, watching the clouds as he found himself filled with peace by her music.

"How long have you been an exorcist?" He asked her quietly.

"Hmm… Since I was about your age, I think, possibly a little younger. It was very hard for me at first," she grinned as she was struck by a memory and leaned her head back to look up at the sky, chuckling to herself, "though; I think it was actually harder on the Order than it was on me…"

At Allen's puzzled glance, she continued. "I was an orphan… I've heard that's not uncommon in our line of work… but no one knows what happened to my family, or even if I ever had any. The only proof of my family…" Her fingers went to her throat, touching the scar there briefly before she clenched her hand into a fist and gritted her teeth in a flash of anger.

After a moment she relaxed, brushing away her thoughts with a sigh. "When they found me in the Amazon, I was completely feral, driven half mad by the Innocence that had somehow gotten attached to me." She flexed her hands a little and cracked her knuckles. "The strangest thing about that… was that I didn't speak English, Spanish or Portuguese… but I understood Russian, of all things."

She let Allen process that for a while, returning her gaze to the guitar and playing with the chords a little, lazily making them flutter in a display of skill that he admired. "It took many years and a lot of patience, which they tell me I tried daily, but they managed to bring me out of it, to where I could live normally and work with my gift. Though, much to the Order's chagrin, they discovered I couldn't be completely tamed… Maybe you've noticed?"

At her question, Allen looked at her curiously. She was wearing her uniform today, and like most Exorcists it was tailored specifically to her body and tastes. Apparently, she had a thing for bare bellies (which he was beginning to share…), for her coat was long enough in the back to dust the floor and wide enough to wrap around her legs if she wanted, but in the front it was barely long enough to hold in her breasts. He was unable to tell if she was wearing a shirt underneath or not, or a bra for that matter.

With it she wore a long loincloth in matching black and red, and tall black boots in soft, supple, worn-in leather. The overall outfit left stretches of her flesh revealed; from thigh to hip, from pelvis to ribcage, and from the tops of her breasts to her throat. The effect it had left Allen wondering if this was Rifka's _most_ modest outfit, or her _least_.

"Personally," Rifka was saying, "I think it's entirely the Innocence's fault – it just won't allow me to be completely human." She paused to look at him, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement at his dazed expression, and she leaned forward, squeezing her breasts together enticingly with her arms. "Do you like my breasts, Allen? If you're wondering if my nipples are pierced – they are."

"What? No! I-I wasn't wondering that at all! …Wait, are they really?" He realized what had happened and jerked his eyes upward and clamped his hands over his mouth as his face flushed with heat. He heard Rifka laughing in delight and chanced a glance at her, seeing that she had thrown her head back and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking with laugher.

She wiped at her eyes and grinned broadly, her eyes dancing. "Allen! You are absolutely _adorable_. I don't think I was as innocent as you when I was _born_. I find that refreshing." She reached out a hand to brush his hair back from his eyes, which made him blush again. "Now," she leaned toward him, her tone changing unexpectedly, "I know you've been trying to get me alone, Alan Walker… What else do you want to ask me?"

Allen began to blush heatedly under her gaze, stammering. Finally! This was his chance! He could ask her anything! "Uh… uh…"

"There you are…"

Allen looked up in alarm at the sound of Kanda's voice and threw his arms behind his head, trying to act casual. "Wow, Rifka, you sure are really good at guitar!"

Rifka's smile was sly as she returned her hands to the chords and elicited more sweet music from the instrument, just as the surly Japanese exorcist joined them. "It started out as an exercise for my hands when I was little, but I enjoyed the sound so much that I ended up continuing to play just for fun. I even write my own songs now and then. Don't I, Kanda?"

Allen was trying not to sweat, dying on the inside. How could Rifka be so casual all of the sudden? It was almost like the things she had said meant nothing to her… But if that was true, why was his heart was pounding so hard?

Kanda looked at her and Allen sitting side by side, his face unreadable, and Allen held his breath, watching as Kanda finally settled his gaze on Rifka. "I heard you laughing a moment ago… What were you doing?"

"Oh that… I was just telling Allen about my nipple rings." Rifka's lips twisted as she tried to maintain a straight face.

Kanda closed his eyes with a sigh of suffering. "You shouldn't tease him like that, he's just a kid."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know… I couldn't resist."

For a moment Kanda simply stared at Rifka, while Allen sweated and Rifka focused on her chords. Shrugging, he sat down, crossed his legs and closed his eyes, beginning to meditate.

The phenomena caused the younger Exorcist to reflect that it was often believed that music could sooth even a savage beast's soul. The thought made him giggle softly to himself.

Rifka's lips curved slowly at the corners. "And it's not like I was telling him about my other ones… Oops."

Allen's eyes popped open. He stopped giggling and went scarlet again, hearing Kanda snort an unfriendly laugh. Maybe Rifka wasn't that nice after all…

"Rifka… You haven't told me what happened to your neck, yet."

Surprised by Kanda's indifferent tone and immediately curious, Allen looked at Rifka's neck, spotting again the short, thin scab near her throat. Rifka went silent at Kanda's comment and lowered her head, her fingers pausing over the strings.

_-Outside Kiev, Ukraine, One Month Ago-_

_Sounds of a struggle came from a darkened alley way, a broken streetlamp buzzed loudly, its light blinking on and off in a shattered frame. Two men held a woman pinned between them, and though she kicked and struggled, she couldn't get free._

"_You said you recognized the ring!" She growled, furious. "You said you knew the man that it belonged to!"_

"_I did, and I do. He's me!" A third man walked up to her, and a knife glinted briefly in the failing light. He slid it under the cord around her throat and flicked it lazily, making her hiss in pain when he cut her skin. The sliced necklace slid away, a ring and a cross pooling prettily into the man's palm._

"_Silly girl," he reached out to her face and she jerked away with a snarl, "you really should be more careful about who you trust."_

"_I'm not some desperate tourist, you pathetic son of a bitch! Give it back to me or I will hunt you down!"_

_His response was laughter, and she could take no more. Her eyes blazed and she suddenly changed her stance, grabbing the coat-sleeves of the men holding her for leverage. Leaning back, she kicked out hard, driving a boot deep into the man's chest. He gasped in surprise and fell away from her. Shocked, the two thugs accidently let go._

_It was more than she had hoped for. A dagger in each hand, she spun to the left, then again to the right, steel flashing in the darkness. The thugs dropped to the ground, clutching their wounds. She turned to confront the leader, but he was gone…_

After a moment, Rifka seemed to come out of a reverie, touching the scar on her neck. She lifted her head, glancing sideways at Kanda with a smile tugging on the corner of her mouth again.

Kanda crossed his arms, bending his head. "Let me guess…"

"Really, Kanda, it's…"

"It's nothing?" Having anticipated her response, Kanda spoke at the same time. He snorted and looked at her. "I thought so." He muttered. Rifka shrugged with a sheepish smile.

Allen looked from one to the other. Was it just him, or had they had this conversation before? How long had they known each other? Were the rumors true? He didn't think it was possible, but there it was… They really seemed to get along.

* * *

After a break that was both nerve wracking and refreshing at the same time, Alan headed for the cafeteria, believing a snack was the perfect thing to settle his rumbling stomach. He soon felt a presence in the hallway moments before Kanda strode up alongside him. Allen glanced up at him nervously, only to see the expression Kanda tended to use around him when they were alone – his eyes closed and his head turned slightly to the side, pretending to ignore him.

That was fine with him! Allen decided to play along, ignoring Kanda while continuing on his way to the cafeteria.

"Be careful, Moyashi."

"Huh?" Kanda's tone had caught him off guard. It hadn't been threatening, or even just angry. He could almost be accused of sounding… concerned!

"Be careful around Rifka, Walker. I'm serious." Kanda looked over at him, "Especially if she catches you alone. She's not as nice as she seems, and she's – unpredictable."

Kanda used his real name. The world was ending! Unable to help it, Allen felt his face heat up in a mixture of embarrassment and panic. He narrowed his eyes and let his dark side take over. "I bet you're just trying to warn me off because you're worried she might be interested in someone a little less girly looking! You should cut your hair, Kanda; I bet it's even longer than hers is."

A shadow fell over Kanda's eyes and he smiled slowly. Allen shivered, not liking that expression coming from someone he knew to be so reliably violent. "Ohhh no, Moyashi… If Rifka's teasing you, and I _know_ she is… I don't envy you at all. And shut up about my hair." With that, he brushed passed Allen and turned down the hall, leaving HQ to train outside as he usually did at this hour.

Curious, Allen went to the windows and looked down upon the grounds. He watched Kanda remove his long coat, revealing the muscle shirt he wore underneath. It covered most of his tattoo, except for the jagged edges that had extended down over his shoulder. It still irritated him that Kanda wouldn't tell him what the tattoo meant, or why it had gotten bigger.

Kanda had just begun his routine when Rifka joined him. They did not greet each other – not in a way Allen could see anyway, but the two flowed into the routine seamlessly as though it had been meant for two, instead of just for one.

The sight did nothing to convince Allen that there wasn't something going on between them.


	4. Allen and Kanda vs Darkpaw

A few days later, Komui called a team of Exorcists to his office; Allen, Linalee, Kanda, Lavi, Miranda and Rifka. He showed them a small city near Kiev, Ukraine.

"We've had reports of malcontent here," the Supervisor explained to the group, "nothing major at first – but…"

Rifka absently touched the cut on her neck with a frown.

"…But there have been reports of escalating violence and disappearances. We've finally heard back from the Finders we sent over. Whole sections of the town, mostly along the outskirts, appear to have been abandoned. No one within the town will discuss it – very fishy indeed."

Komui pushed up his glasses and slid his pointer away. "The Council has decided it's time to send Exorcists. Find out what's causing the city to self-destruct – find out if there's Innocence and bring it back."

The team nodded with a collective "Right!" and set off for the boats.

When they reached the area, it really seemed like a normal city – there were merchants on the street selling wares, some more popular than others, there were ladies in finery strolling around, gangs of brats harassing the elderly…

"Let's head for the city limits," Kanda suggested, "that's where the reports say the city's been abandoned. We might get a better lead from there."

All in agreement, they split into three teams to better cover the area and set out.

* * *

"Another house, completely empty…" Allen spotted a lump on the dusty floor and knelt down to pick it up. It was a child's doll, filthy with soot and singe marks. He clutched it, resisting a surge of rage. Children had lived here, and they were gone now!

Rifka watched at him from the doorway, looking heartbroken at the sight of the doll. "I knew there was something weird…"

Allen's eye triggered suddenly and he looked up sharply, sprinting out of the building and pulling her with him. Large, dark shapes were rising all around them from behind the other buildings – Akuma!

"Crap!" Rifka cursed as she and Allen dove to the side as the weapons began to fire, tumbling side by side out of the way. "I was hoping we'd have more time to search!"

"You're telling me!" They drew their weapons and began to fight!

The Acuma were everywhere they turned! It seemed no matter how many they destroyed there was always more. At the moment, Allen and Rifka were holding their own, fighting back to back to keep the demons at bay – Allen with his sword and Rifka with her daggers.

He couldn't understand why a parasite-type was using a normal weapon. She had her black gloves on again and they were glowing green around her hilts. As they struggled, he heard her grunting in pain, and she seemed to be flexing her hands on her daggers more and more often.

They knew if they were separated, it could mean death for one or both of them. So, of course, that was exactly what the demons wanted to do.

"Allen! Watch out!"

All of a sudden Rifka shoved him, just as an explosion hit directly between them. He heard her cry out as the explosion sent them both sprawling in opposite directions. Akuma immediately descended upon them, blocking each from the other's view.

"Give it back! STOP! _Oh God, you don't know what you've __**done**__!"_

There was fury and desperation in those words, and Allen tried to see her through the Akuma surrounding him. "Rifka, are you okay?!" He heard no reply. He was fighting hurriedly through the Akuma to get back to her, struggling through the oppressive numbers, when he was startled by a terrible, hellish scream. It didn't sound like a human's or an Akuma's, but it made his blood run cold and the hairs on his neck stand up. He began to fight more frantically.

"Get out of the way! Let me through! RIFKA! Answer me!"

"Moyashi…!" Kanda was there beside him, helping to clear the demons from Allen's path, running with him at full speed. "What happened?"

"Where's Lavi?"

"He went to help Linalee and Miranda – where's Rifka?"

"The Akuma separated us! I think she's over there!"

There was another wild scream from the direction Rifka had vanished in, and Kanda's head jerked sharply in that direction, his eyes wide, and then he looked back to Allen. "How long has she been fighting?! Does she still have her weapons?!"

His terse voice betrayed his anxiety, and even though Allen couldn't see it on his face, the idea that _Kanda_ was worried made him even more nervous. "Same amount of time I have – she had them when I saw her last, but I think her hands were hurting her! Why?! What's wrong?!"

Kanda's reply was an impatient growl. Together they feverishly tore through the remaining Akuma until they could see a small circle of the demons were all that was left. They caught brief glimpses of a figure darting around in the center. Rifka's daggers were on the ground behind the group, one of them broken in two.

"Oh no," Allen pointed sharply, "She _did_ lose them! She's defenseless!"

"Not exactly, but this isn't good! _Dammit!_"

Allen didn't stop to ask Kanda why. They ran toward the circle of Akuma in time to see the figure in the center leap high into the air and perform several violent, spinning and slashing movements with her hands. Several of the Akuma immediately exploded, and the figure dropped to a crouch, swiveled on her toes, and sprang at the remaining demons without skipping a beat, vaulting from one to another, running through them like they were made of paper.

When the clouds of smoke had drifted, Kanda and Allen saw Rifka crouched low on the ground, all ten fingertips glowing the bright green of activated Innocence, forming her fingers into thick, sharp claws. Her long hair was hanging forward to hide her face and she was covered in blood. Her whole body was heaving from exertion, but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Rifka, you're okay!" Not knowing any better, Allen called out and would have gone running to her if Kanda hadn't thrown an arm out to stop him.

Rifka slowly lifted her head. Allen felt Kanda tense up, saw him reach slowly for his sword, and then he saw why. Rifka's skin had turned black, and through the shadow he could see that her eyes were glowing, the same green as her fingertips, and her pupils had transformed into cat-like slits. He quickly recalled what she had said before – that the Innocence had nearly driven her mad as a child, and she had been completely feral when rescued by the Order.

"Is this you were talking about, Kanda? Is she okay?"

Neither one of them wanted to look away from her, unsure if she was going to attack or come back to them. "Her weapon is a parasite type known as The Darkpaw, because it forms deadly claws and gives her the strength and speed of a jaguar. At the same time, it makes her violently blood thirsty and territorial. She uses the knives to channel the Innocence through her hands to keep it from affecting her mind. Without a weapon of some form she has to use it directly, which can cause her to revert to her feral state…"

"Oh no! She said it took the Order _years_ to bring her out of it!"

Kanda glanced at him sharply. "She told you about that?"

Allen was too concerned about Rifka to worry that Kanda might be getting jealous. "She mentioned it, but didn't really tell me anything about it. I had no idea what her real power was…"

"If she loses control, her real power can be dangerous to everyone." Kanda returned his gaze to Rifka.

She was standing there, her shoulders slightly rolled forward, staring at them through her hair with her hands hanging open at her sides. She was eerily still, her glittering green eyes watching them. Had she been listening to them, too?

"Rifka," Kanda boldly called out to her, "Deactivate your Innocence! You've used too much!"

Her fingertips twitched and she purred deeply, giving Allen the chills all over again. Memories of being attacked by lions in Africa flashed through his mind in response to the noise. Rifka in this state was _not_ human!

"Mmm, I love the sound of your voice. Did I ever tell you that?" She crept forward slowly, and they could see the corners of her lips curving in a predatory smile. It showed that her teeth had elongated to dagger-sharp edges, "it makes me shiver when you say my name…"

Kanda exhaled sharply through his nose, trying to keep his patience. "Rifka, this is nonsense – stop being difficult! Listen to me!"

She sidled up to him and reached out to trail her claws down over his lips and chin, brushing the bridge of her nose upward along his throat. "Oh, I'm listening…" She gazed up at him intently.

Allen looked at Kanda, baffled and frightened. Kanda was looking into Rifka's eyes, his hands slowly falling away from his sword. His expression softened and Allen found he didn't trust it, reaching out swiftly to cuff him on the side of the head.

The effect was instant. The stern expression returned and Kanda whirled on Allen. "What the hell are you doing, idiot?!"

"Be careful, Kanda! This isn't the Rifka you're in love with! She did something to you when you looked at her just now!"

Rage, or possibly embarrassment, colored Kanda's words. "_What_ did you just say to me?!"

He might have continued to argue if Rifka hadn't laughed just then, for it wasn't the usual, throaty chuckle they were used to – it was something far less playful. She changed targets and was circling Allen before they even knew she had moved. He went completely still, trying to watch her closely while avoiding her gaze.

"This one's voice is… young… but there's definitely something there… Is it experience, or just desire?" She grinned slowly, reaching out to play with Allen's prematurely white hair as she drew close to him, brushing her lips against the edge of his ear. "Would you like to learn how to be dominant?"

There were parts of Allen that were thinking that sounded like a brilliant idea and he struggled to push them away, breathing hard and closing his eyes shut even tighter. "Rifka… deactivate your Innocence! Please!"

Rifka pursed her lips mockingly before grinning at him. "Aw, listen to the sweet kitten's meow! You're so adorable… I could teach you how to roar, little one…"

"Oh God…" He remembered the first time she had told him he was adorable. He had liked hearing it back then, but now it seemed more like she was calling him a tasty rabbit! He hoped Kanda couldn't see his face right now…

"Rifka, stop it!" Kanda barked at her sharply. "Leave the kid alone!" When Rifka did little more than stare at him while curling Allen's hair around her fingertip, he bared his teeth furiously and drew his sword.

_"It's finally happened,"_ Allen thought to himself as his eyes rolled up to the sky. Rifka's hand was inside his coat, teasing his chest, sliding down over his stomach, making his muscles flutter and his breath catch in his throat. He didn't know what to do – and when she started whispering things into his ear; terrible, evil, wonderful, delightful things… he was no longer sure he _wanted_ her to stop. _"Kanda's finally going to kill me, and I didn't even do anything to deserve it…"_


	5. Allen and Kanda vs Darkpaw (Continued)

Rifka suddenly jerked away from him with a violent, displeased hiss and Allen didn't hesitate. He scrambled in the other direction, gasping for breath and trying to put more distance between him and the definitely far less likeable Rifka. He had to fight to calm down after her touch had set every one of his nerves on fire, fear and adrenaline pumping through his system. He cursed to himself – hadn't Kanda warned him? He wouldn't be able to fight her in his current condition.

Once he had control, he could see what happened. There was a small cut on Rifka's arm. Kanda had actually chosen to save him instead of kill him, and was now standing between him and Rifka, sword at the ready. Allen was confused and very thankful, but now the two friends were fighting, and their duel looked far less pleasant than the first one he had witnessed.

"Stop wasting time, you moron! Go get help!"

The command rocked Allen backward onto his heels and he stared at Kanda. "Kanda, please don't kill her!"

There was a flicker of emotion across the other man's face, and at the last second Allen recognized it as anguish. "If she leaves me no choice…" He steeled himself, tightening his grip on his sword, "I will not lose."

Allen only hesitated a moment longer. When Kanda shouted "GO!" he took off running, hoping he could find others in the area to subdue Rifka in her feral state. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too late to save them both.

Rifka watched Allen run away, looking curious, then she looked at Kanda, her head tilted slightly to one side. "You sent the boy away… He might have fallen prey to me, but only if he wasn't strong enough… How interesting that you did not want him to try… Have you decided to claim me for yourself, Warrior?"

Kanda seemed to have come to terms with the situation. He knew he wasn't going to be able to talk Rifka out of where she had gone. "Yes, Darkpaw, I have."

With a grin and a dark laugh, Rifka shook out her hands, her eyes and fingertips flaring to bright green fire. Then she leapt at him, attacking him first as she often did when they sparred. Bracing his legs, Kanda didn't hesitate – he couldn't afford to. He dodged her first swipe but she was so swift, he felt her claws snagging along the surface of his coat. He lifted Mugen to meet her next strike and launched a series of counter-attacks, watching with growing frustration as she danced around each one.

Then, before he knew it, she was pressing in close to him, inside the reach of his sword, and he felt her claws slide threateningly over his throat as she stared up at him hungrily, purring deeply with a hungry smile. "Come on now, you can do better…"

Something flooded through him that tinted his vision. Was it rage, or maybe passion? Either way it made him burn and gave him the inspiration to be faster and stronger than her. He lashed out a hand, wrapping it in her long hair and yanking her head back violently, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

She didn't resist. Quite the contrary, she clutched him tightly in response, her claws slicing through his coat and stripping it cleanly from his body. With a hiss of pain he shoved her away, blood welling in the long scratches down his arms and chest. Her eyes glittered at him intensely and she gave him a feral grin.

He didn't wait for her. He launched the next attack, forcing her to backpedal while blocking his strikes. Her eyes were wide but her grin was excited and she was breathing quickly from the adrenaline. They had never fought seriously before, and he had to admit it was exciting – but he had to force himself not to get caught up in the battle. She was serious this time, but _he_ had to remain detached – at least until it meant his life…

They broke apart again, meeting another stalemate, and glared at each other heatedly as they panted for breath. There was a brilliant fever in Rifka's eyes; the feral hunger driving her wasn't letting her focus on anything else. They shifted, and sprang at each other in unison. Kanda brought his sword down sharply, just as her claws whipped up to meet it, and they collided in a crash of light and the ringing sounds of steel against supernatural claws. Their powers exploded between them, forcing them apart.

Kanda was thrown clear of the surrounding buildings, so he landed smoothly and skidded backward several feet from the force of the blast, unharmed. Rifka was not so lucky. He heard her crash through the empty building behind her with a sharp cry. He ran to the doorway and pulled up short just as alarm bells rang in his mind, but he wasn't quick enough. Lunging out of the darkness, Rifka grabbed onto his shoulders and rolled backward, her feet kicking into his stomach to toss him head over heels into the opposite wall.

He hit hard enough to shake Mugen from his hand and leave him dazed as he slid down the wall and onto the floor with a grunt. Pushing his hair out of his eyes, he had just barely gotten his wits about him when he saw Rifka rushing at him from the doorway. He caught her by the wrists just in time, stopping her with her claws inches from his face.

"Rifka… Stop…"

There was a wild look in her eyes as she tried to get free, and while it frightened and worried him that he had lost her to her feral Innocence, he clenched his jaw and refused to let her go, shaking her in his urgency.

"I said stop, Rifka!"

Sitting forward quickly, he forced her onto her back and pinned her down. She hissed up at him, baring her teeth, thrashing and bucking her hips, but he slammed the backs of her hands against the floor and bared his teeth at her, telling her plainly that he was not letting her go.

He could feel the heat of her body, the pounding of her heart. A dizzying rush flooded over him and he flexed his grip on her wrists. He didn't know what these strange powers were that she had in this form, but he had to do something to bring her out of it, or she'd be lost forever. Taking a gamble, he bent his head to press his face into her neck, and bit down hard.

Her eyes flew open in shock. The husky gasp he was rewarded with almost sent all other thoughts other soaring from his mind. Not yet trusting her, he held her wrists down with one hand as the other tangled in her hair and forced her to look into his eyes again. He saw the green swirl through with brown and shook her, urgently.

"Rifka, answer me!"

"Kanda…?"

Well, that certainly seemed to have gotten her attention. He spoke to her quickly. "Stop playing around, Rifka! Deactivate your Innocence!"

"It's… it's not that easy…"

"Don't bullshit me! How strong are you? Do you use the Innocence, or does _it_ use _you?!"_

She stared up at him and as the brown in her eyes was overtaken by the green once more she gasped in pain and started to struggle, forcing him to hold her down again. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Kanda pressed her wrists to the floor with one hand as the other took the rope out of his hair so he could use it to bind her.

Then, staring down at her, he fought back a sense of hopelessness. She was in there, he knew she was, but fighting her hadn't brought her back, so how was he supposed to…?

Sighing, he closed his eyes and bent his head down to her, kissing her deeply. She abruptly stopped thrashing and her eyes flew open in surprise. Their color became brown again and completely clear, but he kept her pinned anyway, still not trusting her not to attack him again.

* * *

When Allen and the others finally located them, it was to find Kanda, shirtless and disheveled, slumped against the wall, seemingly unconscious. His long hair hung down around his chest and shoulders, and his skin was littered with scratches, cuts and bites. Though the bleeding had stopped, he was still a mess. Against his side laid Rifka, also unconscious and looking just as battle worn, though she seemed unharmed.

"Kanda…?" Allen spoke to him from the door.

"Ngh…" Kanda grunted and lifted his head slowly, his eyes unfocused for a moment. They cleared as they settled on Allen. "Moyashi… Late again, I see…"

Allen's face twitched, but he chose to ignore this comment and looked down at Rifka instead. "I'm glad you didn't kill her."

Kanda followed his gaze, reaching up absently to push his hair out of his eyes. There was a bland, patient look on his face when he looked at Rifka. "Turned out not to be necessary."

The trip back to the nearby inn was marked in most memories by only one other event, though its significance was lost on the others. While he bandaged his wounds, Kanda had allowed Allen to carry Rifka, but once he had finished and put his coat back on, he insisted on carrying her himself.


	6. Girls Always Take Forever

Along the way, Rifka's unconsciousness eased into slumber, and by the time they were nearing the town, she was awake and walking on her own. And though she tried to be casual about it, she stayed at Kanda's side.

"Oh, here," she brought up her left wrist nonchalantly and slid Kanda's hair-tie from around it, handing it back to him, "I think it's safe to give this back to you now…"

Silently he took it from her, ignoring the intrigued looks from the others as he calmly tied his hair back.

"Instead of trying to fight me while my Innocence was trying to kill him, he tied me up," Rifka explained to the others, "Once he did that, I guess it was easy for him to bring me back." She paused, looking over at Kanda. "I don't remember anything after I lost my daggers."

Kanda closed his eyes with a patient sigh. "You always have to be difficult, don't you? Why did you have to fight me so seriously?"

Rifka dropped her shoulders. "Come on, it wasn't my fault this time! How was I supposed to know _that_ side of me wanted to fight you like that? If that stupid Akuma hadn't broken my knife…" She trailed off, taking the broken dagger from her hip and gazing down at it mournfully.

"You're avoiding the subject, Rifka. I'm starting to think you did this on purpose."

Her eyes were wide when she looked up. "I'm not! I didn't! I'm…" She was starting to blush, getting flustered, and Allen couldn't help enjoying seeing _her_ getting teased for a change. "Oh come on!" She looked at Allen. "You believe me, don't you?"

Allen folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "Nope…"

The others were still staring at the pair of them, with their tangled hair and their rumpled, ruined clothing. "_We don't either!"_

Startled by their outburst, Rifka looked at them in mild shock. "But…! You don't understand! I didn't mean to! I _couldn't_ have!" She paused, suddenly realizing that Lavi looked like he was holding his breath. She looked at the others, and saw they were starting to turn away to hide their expressions of mirth. "Hey now, wait a minute…"

It was too much. Lavi burst out laughing, and when he started the others couldn't help it. After a moment of starting at them, Rifka closed her eyes with a rueful smile, realizing they had been teasing her. She sighed and let her shoulders relax.

"I suppose I deserved that…"

Kanda smirked, not looking at her. "You're usually so clever."

"Oh, shut up!"

* * *

Once inside the town, they took a room at an inn to regroup. By combining their reports, they discovered that all three scouting groups had encountered heavy Akuma forces in the area. They all agreed that it seemed odd for such a large, prosperous town. They _had_ to be there looking for Innocence.

They set out again, walking the streets as they searched for any signs or clues of the Innocence's whereabouts. Something distracted Rifka and she turned around slowly with a frown. Kanda glanced at her, his eyes scanning through the crowd quickly. "What is it, Rifka?"

Her hands touched the faded scar on her throat and her lip curled. She spared the others a glance, "Go on ahead; I'll catch up to you!" She darted rapidly into the crowd.

Surprised, Allen called after her. "Wait Rifka, where are you going?!"

"Shit!" Cursing, Kanda pushed passed Allen and sprinted after her.

He caught up to her under an overpass, standing over a man in dirty clothes. He was lying motionless in a shallow puddle, though thankfully it did not seem like she had killed him. She was breathing hard, her fists clenched, and as he slowed to a walk she knelt down and drew something out of the man's coat pocket.

A length of black cord, and two silver charms. A man's signet ring, and a cross, both set with a sapphire in the center… He gasped slightly when he saw them, going still as he watched her tie the cord around her throat and adjust the charms so they laid flat.

"_This_ man, _he's_ the one that cut you? When he took your necklace?"

"I told him I'd find him. I guess he didn't believe me…"

"How long ago was this?"

"This city was my last stop before I returned to Headquarters… So, that would be… a month?"

"You remembered his scent for a month? It was that important to you?"

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Of course, Kanda… You know how important these are to me!" She closed her hand around the charms, caressing them softly. "This ring is the only clue I have about where I came from! And the other…"

"You… you kept it? Why?"

She began to blush. "Well, I know it wasn't a gift or anything, but you gave it to me and I liked it, so yeah, I kept it."

"HEY!" Allen called out to them as he came running up. He was smart enough to pretend he didn't see the flustered expression on Kanda's face. "There's a train coming in and the entire town is gathering to see it! Someone's coming!"

Kanda and Rifka glanced at each other, professionalism returning. "This could be it!" They turned to Allen and the trio ran back to the group.

It was a fine train indeed that was pulling up to the station. Cobalt blue, gleaming with steel that shone like silver, and as it came to rest it let off a great whistle and a gust of steam. A door slid open and a smartly dressed Steward with a coat of arms stepped onto the platform.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to finally announce; the long-awaited return of our Lord, Anton Vandella!"

The man that stepped out of the train behind the Steward was tall and dashing in a tailored suit, finely stitched to match his status. It was white, with a cobalt blue vest and a silver tie, with a matching top hat. The team of exorcists all stopped fast – he was almost dressed like a Noah, but he couldn't possibly _be_ one…

The man removed his hat to reveal sleek blond hair, slicked back from his face. When he looked out over the assembled crowd, it was with cold, calculating blue eyes. He grinned, and it was a charming grin, but it didn't reach those eyes. "My darling citizens, I have returned to you! And I return with many gifts from my trip abroad, for all of you!"

The crowd was cheering madly as they parted down the center. Vandella was quickly flanked by sharply dressed, and armed, guards, which bore him down the path toward a rich and stately manor. The people followed, as did the exorcists.

The procession was extravagant. There were a number of performers throughout the streets, gymnasts, musicians and dancers, all leading the way to the manor that watched over the city from the top of the tallest hill. When Lord Vandella reached the steps of his manor, he announced that a formal banquet would be held that evening at the manor, open to one and all.

The exorcists looked amongst each other with misgivings. For one thing, if the manor was about to be crowded by the city's entire population, any of their leads on the innocence would be buried. And for two…

Rifka and Kanda glanced at each other guiltily. There was no way they'd be allowed in, looking the way they did. After a quick pooling of funds, they returned to the marketplace, the men to the tailor and the women to the seamstress.

* * *

"Lenalee, do you think this will be all right? It's plain; I couldn't stand the thought of spending all of our money on a dress I'll only wear once…"

Rifka drew back the dressing curtain and Miranda and Lenalee's eyes popped open in surprise. Miranda clasped her hands together with a gasp, her eyes shining, and Lenalee grinned. "Has _Kanda_ ever seen you dress up?" She watched as the seamstress guided Rifka up onto a stool so she could finish the hems.

"No, never… I never dress up. Why?"

"Then it's perfect. He'll be floored!"

Rifka laughed, looking at the other two through the mirror. "I thought this dress was just supposed to get us into the _banquet_, Lenalee…" She grinned slowly, "but it _is_ going to be fun to see his face, isn't it…?"

* * *

Lavi, Allen and Kanda stood at the foot of the stairs inside the manor, having already been shown inside. It had been a very simple task for Kanda to replace his shirt and pick up a new vest and jacket. He and the others looked very smart with their shoes shined and hair brushed neat.

Kanda frowned. "What time is it now?"

Allen rolled his eyes. "Five minutes after the _last_ time you asked me, stupid Kanda. They're _girls._ Girls always take forever to get dressed!"

"Rifka never takes this long…"

"Yeah, but," Lavi grinned lasciviously, "Rifka doesn't usually wear mu– never mind!" He shut up quickly under the murderous, yet inviting gaze Kanda gave him, as though daring him to finish that thought.

"Announcing; the Ladies Lee, Rifka, and Lotto!"

Heads turned at the Steward's announcement, including the three gentlemen exorcists. First, they saw Lenalee, waving cheerfully as she came down the stairs in a gown of soft lilac. Miranda looked lovely in burnt orange… until she tripped over her hem. She would have fallen down the stairs if she hadn't been caught by a long-gloved hand.

Rifka smiled at Miranda, holding onto her gently as they descended the stairs together. In exchange for her risque uniform, Rifka was now wearing a long, midnight blue gown that accentuated her smooth, muscular curves and rich skin tone. Her normally wild hair was brushed to a fine shine and tamed into graceful curls, with one sleek wave slipping down over her right eye.

Lavi nudged Allen in the side and jerked his head slightly toward Kanda. Allen tore his eyes away from Lenalee to glance over and grinned when he saw the look on Kanda's face. He was staring up at Rifka as though seeing her for the first time, his eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly open in shock.

On the last step, Rifka smiled at Kanda and reached out to playfully fix his tie and collar. "Lenalee was right – that face is worth every penny. Now, escort me in before I start blushing!" She slid her hand into the crook of his arm and led him into the crowd.

Allen and Lavi watched them walk off before turning back to Lenalee and Miranda, both of whom were looking mildly expectant. Allen thrust a hand into his hair, laughing sheepishly and grinning broadly before snapping smartly to attention, bowing deeply to Lenalee and holding out a hand to her. "Lady Lee, you look wonderful tonight!"

"Right," Lavi chimed in brightly, offering his arm to Miranda, "tonight is going to be an excellent night!" And they escorted the two into the party quickly to catch up with Kanda and Rifka.


	7. Identities and Acting Lessons

"So what's the occasion?" Rifka asked one of the wait staff as she accepted a glass of punch, "It must be something big, to throw such a large party."

"Oh, well… Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of Lord Vandella's acquisition of the Great Panthera Mining Corp in Brazil. Every year he takes a trip down there to manage the company, and brings back all sorts of riches." The waitress became sad and sighed softly. "It's so terrible though, that the same day he made the biggest success of his life, he lost his only daughter. Wandered away from her nanny in the middle of the day, poor thing… She was only five."

"Oh, that must have been awful for him!" Rifka exclaimed. Next to her, Kanda was listening silently while he kept his eyes on the crowd, ignoring her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"They say that's why he became so cold, that he's unable to love because his heart died that day… Not sure how much stock to put in that though." The waitress lowered her voice conspiratorially and Rifka leaned toward her, intrigued, "they say he was a cold, hard man long before he ever went to South America…"

Rifka raised her eyebrows, though lowered her eyelids slightly at the same time. "You don't say…" She toasted the waitress with her glass and slipped away from Kanda to mingle. She put on a friendly smile even though on the inside, the crowd was making her as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Her nerves got the better of her. She turned her head to see if she could spot any of the others, and promptly bumped into someone. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I wasn't watching –"

"Kassara – it's you!"

"- my step…" Rifka stopped short and blinked down at the person she had bumped into. It was an old man, shorter than she was but very broad in the shoulder and stocky in frame. He looked like he had been a very hard worker in his youth. His hair was white and slicked back in a style very much like how Lord Vandella wore his.

"I'm sorry, you have me mistaken… My name is –"

"Nonsense! I'd recognize my granddaughter anywhere! Kassara, you've finally come home!"

"Your granddaughter…? Who, me? Old man, what are you talking about?" Rifka felt her face getting hot and glanced around awkwardly in hopes no one was overhearing the babbling old man, brushing her hair back from her eyes in exasperation. An elderly woman approached, taking the man's arm.

"Eric, dear, you're scaring the poor child. She couldn't possibly be Kassara, Kassara is gone." She stroked the man's arm soothingly a few times before looking up at Rifka with a friendly smile. "He sees her everywhere these days, child. You'll forgive him, won't you? You certainly couldn't be… there's really no way… Oh my…"

The old woman's eyes settled on Rifka's face just as she brushed her hair away from the scar across her eyebrow, and her expression became startled. She grabbed Rifka's wrist and began pulling her unceremoniously through the crowd. "Eric," she called over her shoulder, "Go get Anton – Now!"

"Now wait just one minute!" Rifka cried out indignantly, trying to pull free.

The woman let her go sharply and pointed. Rubbing her wrist, Rifka straightened and brushed out her dress, pointedly not looking at what she was being directed to, but eventually she could stall no longer. Looking up, her eyes settled on a large oil painting of a family portrait.

It was undoubtedly the Lord Vandella of several years ago, standing tall and handsome beside an ethereally beautiful woman with long dark hair and dark skin. She was sitting in an ornate chair with a child held close to her side – A child with dark hair, dark eyes, and a fresh white scar across one eyebrow.

The sound of glass breaking startled the banquet hall into sudden silence. Rifka stared at the portrait, her glass of punch now in shards on the floor at her feet. At the base of the portrait was a gold plaque with a fancy script scrolled across it.

"_Righteousness is not for Kings alone."_

Her hand flew to the charms at her throat, touching the ring that hung there. In the portrait… was she mistaken? Was Lord Vandella… _wearing that ring?!_

With a quick intake a breath, Rifka spun on her toes and hurried back through the crowd, looking quickly for the others. She found them and pulled them all close, gritting her teeth to control her voice and rising temper. "We have to leave! I've made a terrible mistake!"

Kanda looked down at her and saw her hands were shaking. Shocked, he turned toward her and she looked up at him. There was panic in her eyes – he didn't like that look on her. "What happened? What did you find?"

"There was something strange about this city when I came through her on my way back to HQ. I told Komui that I wasn't sure what it was… We assumed it was Innocence… I'm not sure that's the case anymore. I think this city… I think these people are…"

"There she is, Anton! Look! It's _your daughter, Kassara!"_

Horrified, Rifka turned her head to see the elderly couple arriving with Lord Vandella in tow. He stared at her, completely stunned, and walked toward her in a daze. He reached out to touch her face, her hair, and then brushed his fingers over the ring on her necklace.

"Amazing… I could almost believe you were a reincarnation of my wife, not my child…" He reached up to brush her hair back from her eyebrow, staring at her scar. "Is it you, Kassara? Do you remember me, dear? Do you remember your father?"

Rifka clenched her hands into fists, trying to stop her shaking. "I'm… awfully sorry, my Lord… I really don't know… what's going on…"

His expression changed from wonder to uncertainty at the sound of her voice. "Are you from Russia, my dear? I'm having trouble placing that accent of yours. And, if I may be so bold – how old are you?"

"Oh… I'm… Well, I'm twenty-two, my Lord… but no, I'm not from Russia… I'm from Peru…"

Vandella's blue eyes glinted sharply as he stared down into her eyes. She had to fight to keep herself still under his gaze, desperate to keep him from knowing that she was lying. "And who are your parents, my dear?"

She called upon every ounce of willpower she had in order to face him with such a brave front, but her insides were going cold. "I'm so sorry, my Lord, I wish I knew. You see, I was raised by the church – an orphan." She gestured toward her friends, glancing over at them.

"How do you explain this ring, then? This is my father's signet ring – one I lost in South America nearly fifteen years ago."

"It's…" Rifka felt the trap closing in, "it's, you see…"

"It's a promise ring!" Lavi's voice brought a fresh silence to the hall. He dragged Kanda up beside Rifka, slipping their hands together with a masterful, bright-and-shiny grin of utter distraction. "He bought the ring from a shop in Brazil when we were there a few months ago, intending to give it to Rifka as a promise of marriage." He rounded on Kanda, waving a finger, "You were supposed to tell me _before_ you did it, so I could make _plans!"_

Kanda glanced at Lavi with such a violent silence that Lavi paled. When he spoke it was through clenched teeth. "Lavi… _What the fuck are you doing?!"_

Lavi kept the beaming grin on his face and spoke through the corner of his mouth. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Yuu! Look at her! We need to get her out of here!"

Kanda looked down at Rifka. He felt her hand trembling in his palm and became sharply aware of just how much fear she was hiding. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and took a breath, knowing Allen would probably pay a lot of money for what he was about to see.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a soft, tender expression on his face and a slight, fond smile curving his lips. He reached out to take Rifka's chin in his free hand, turning her head to make her look at him. "You haven't given me your answer yet, either, darling…"

She flushed and shivered as she stared up at him in surprise, and Kanda remarked that it was the most beautiful look he'd ever seen on her face. It helped him ignore Lavi's antics behind him as the redhead made a shocked face, caught completely unprepared for Kanda's acting ability.

After another heartbeat Rifka smiled and nodded slowly. With a small, triumphant grin, Kanda bent his head and kissed her deeply, drawing her against him. Behind them, Allen and Lavi fell over as though hit by a truck, while Miranda looked ecstatic. She clutched hands with Lenalee, whom was finding it very hard not to stare at Kanda while he was making such dreamy faces. She had known him for so long; she wished she could take a picture just for proof that it was real.

When the couple parted, Vandella looked down at Kanda as though weighing his words carefully. Then, closing his eyes with a broad grin, he stepped back. "It's a coincidence, then! Complete coincidence! My father misses my wife and daughter more and more as the years go by. When I lost my daughter abroad, my wife could not forgive me and wasted away, until I lost her too. I have not had the heart to start over and so, you see – I have no heir. He worries about our city and what will happen to it."

Kanda drew Rifka close to his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He didn't like the way she was still shaking, but he was proud that it wasn't showing on her face. He glanced up as Lavi stepped up beside them. "That's a pretty sad story, my Lord… but God makes all things clear in the end, does he not?"

Vandella sized Lavi up suspiciously. "Yes… that is how the saying goes." Glancing around, he became aware of the stillness of his party and waved his hands. "Start the music up again! The sun hasn't even begun to set! This is no longer just a welcome home party, but an engagement party as well! Congratulations to the young couple are in order, everyone! A waltz! Start a waltz immediately!"

The guests all toasted Kanda and Rifka, both of whom began to blush deeply as they were swept into the dance. Clutching each other tightly, Rifka lowered her head slightly.

"Kanda… We need to talk about this…" She whispered to him.

"We can talk about it _later_." He growled back at her.


	8. Nightmares vs Facts

When they were finally able to regroup back at the inn again, they gathered in the small sitting room. Allen was still gawking, though Lavi looked both smug and jealous at the same time. Now seated on the sofa, Rifka was silently and pointedly avoiding their gaze. She was back in her exorcist uniform, with her hair plaited in two tight braids that hung down around her neck.

At the other end of the sofa, Kanda had his arms folded and his head bent in his classic "I am actually alone in this room" pose, and no one was speaking until Lavi finally threw his arms into the air. "Well, do _you_ know any other reasons why a woman would carry a man's ring? I had to say something!" He leered at them. "I could have just as easily claimed the ring was mine…"

Rifka and Kanda's eyes both popped open. They glanced at Lavi, and then to each other, then they sighed and let their shoulders drop in defeat. "Fine," Rifka said with a groan, "fine, fine! _Thank you for getting me out of a jam,_ Lavi!"

"There, see? How hard was that? Honestly, you two… You need to lighten up! It's not like it's the truth! It's just until we can get out of here!"

Rifka and Kanda glanced nervously at each other again. "Of course…" She said.

"Just until we leave…" He agreed.

Lenalee decided to distract them from their current thoughts and get straight to the point. "Rifka, do you remember anything from when you were a child?"

Kanda went back to ignoring the room, so Rifka turned to look at Lenalee. "Such as running away from my nanny and getting lost in the jungle? No. I…" Rifka touched the scar on her eyebrow, looking down at her lap. "I don't even remember a nanny…"

Lenalee frowned, at first suspecting Rifka of holding back, but then she watched Rifka close her eyes and press her knuckles to her forehead, her other hand clenched tight on her lap. She was even more frustrated than the rest of them. Perhaps she truly couldn't remember.

Sighing, Lenalee shook her head a little. "All right, let's all get some rest and we'll start again tomorrow. Maybe after some sleep we'll think of something."

All agreeing, they split into two groups, boys and girls, and went to their separate rooms.

* * *

_It was pouring rain – not at all uncommon in the jungle. She could still hear the screaming through the night, though it was farther away now. She closed her eyes, trying to forget what she had seen, but she felt the ring press into her palm and looked down at it._

_All over again, she saw the man call out to the strange, metal skeleton. There was an ear-splitting scream and the skeleton came to life, reaching out for the man as it stumbled forward. He clutched it tightly, sobbing in joy and relief._

_And then it killed him._

_He screamed, and she could hear the monster was screaming too, as though in just as much agony as its victim. The rain couldn't quite drown out the sound of his blood splashing onto the wet ground. If she hadn't been able to hear it, maybe it would have been all right, but it just wasn't enough. She would never forget that awful sound._

_So she ran. She ran without watching where she was going, plunging deep into the wilds. It wasn't until she was exhausted and soaked to the bone that she thought of finding a place to hide._

_She found a tree with a hollow beneath the trunk and crawled inside, clutching her arms and knees tight to her chest. "Oh God, please," she whispered to herself, trembling from the cold and the fear, "please, oh God… I don't think Daddy can protect me from the monster I just saw…"_

_She opened her eyes. There was a rustle in the bushes surrounding her tree, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She heard a low, dangerous growl, the sound of a large, hungry creature with lots of teeth. She saw a dark shape from the corner of her eye, but when she looked, nothing was there._

_And then two bright, yellow-green eyes in an inky black face loomed out of the darkness before her. Powerful jaws full of long, sharp teeth dropped open with another low, hungry growl, and Rifka put her hands out with a gasp, and let out a cry as the teeth came down on her fingers._

* * *

"No, don't!"

Crying out, Rifka sat up in bed, sweat running down her skin. Her hands were throbbing and she clenched her teeth against a whine of pain, clutching her hands into fists and pressing them to her chest, her knuckles turning white. Tears escaped her eyes as she squeezed them shut.

"Ow-Ow-Ow… Son of a bitch that _fucking_ hurts…!"

When the pain had subsided she flopped back onto her pillows, continuing to curse breathlessly, and wiped the sweat from her face. When her breathing had calmed, she slipped from the bed and crossed to the window. Perching on the ledge, she watched the rain pelting heavily against the glass and closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against it as weariness washed over her.

"Did you have a nightmare, Rifka…?"

Lenalee's voice was quiet but concerned, coming from the next bed over. On the third bed, Miranda was still sleeping peacefully.

Rifka was too tired to be startled. She opened her eyes a little. "Yes…" She sighed heavily. "Haaahh… It's been so long since I've had a dream like that… It was worst when the Order was teaching me, or treating me, whatever you want to call it. It was brutal, frustrating, painful… and I remember I had bad dreams nearly every night…"

She sighed and mumbled a few choice words under her breath, clenching her hands into fists. "You know, I remember how long it took them to convince me I needed to wear _shoes_. How to eat with utensils and why I should brush my hair… I remember how hard – dammit, never mind. None of that matters anymore."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I dreamed I saw an Akuma being born. That I was so scared I ran straight into the jungle without even thinking, and begged God for the strength to fight. And when I realized where I was, I was face to face with a jaguar about to eat me…"

"But then it didn't?"

Rifka shook her head, closing her eyes. "It bit me… So hard I thought I would lose my hands… But it gave me Darkpaw instead. More than enough strength to fight, and certainly the means to do so…" She sighed bitterly. "And then I spent the next seven years living like an animal…"

"Do you think it's possible that Vandella really is your father?"

She shuddered reflexively. "It seems that way, doesn't it? But it's all just circumstantial… I don't know that man… If I do, I don't remember… The Finders made my name from the only letters that remain on this ring's inscription… and from the way the letters are spaced out… it matches that old man's ring…"

Lenalee stared at her. "And you say it's all circumstantial?!"

"It might not mean anything!" There were frustrated tears in Rifka's eyes. "It _can't._ I've been looking for them for so long, and this is what I find? That they've betrayed God and all of humanity – and for what? What's he gotten out of it? He lost his wife, his child, his father – did he lose his mother, too? Is that old woman one of them, too? I don't want it anymore… Not like this…"

Lenalee looked away, trying to pretend she couldn't hear the tears in Rifka's voice. She blinked and suddenly frowned. "Wait, Rifka, wait. Allen's eye didn't activate."

Rifka wiped furiously at her face, sniffling, and went to blow her nose on some tissue from a box on the table. "What?"

"Allen can see their souls," She made a circular motion around her left eye. "He's cursed. When he's in the presence of an Akuma, he can see its soul. He was at the same party we were, and he didn't say anything. We would all have noticed if he'd seen something. No one at the party was an Akuma."

Rifka put her face in her hands and cursed vividly, which made Lenalee blush awkwardly. Slowly, she untied her choker and removed the ring before putting it back on. Then, turning toward Lenalee, she held up the ring.

"Okay. Fact one: Nightmares help us deal with _emotions_. Fact Two: This ring belonged to Vandella's father. Fact three: I had this ring when I was found by the Finders!" She scowled at the ring. "He said he loved his granddaughter so much… did he give it to me? If _that's_ the case, I'm still left with one terrifying question."

Lenalee's eyes went wide. "What's that?"

Rifka stared at the ring and the worn, faded inscription. Turning it, she held it so the light would glint off the sapphire. Clutching it in her fist again, she frowned out at the rain, lost in her thoughts. "…Who did I see being murdered in the jungle…?"

Lenalee walked up to her and gently unhooked her choker, surprising her. Gently, she took the ring and slid it back onto the necklace, then tenderly placed it back around her neck, looking warmly into her eyes as she placed her hands softly on her shoulders.

"We'll find out what really happened, Rifka."

"I believe you, Lenalee. Thank you…"


	9. Usually So Clever

Rifka went to the window and sat down on the ledge, quietly staring out at the rain again. Lenalee watched her for a moment before going back to bed. She waited until she knew that Lenalee was sleep again before she got up and silently slipped from the room.

Kanda was sitting alone in the main room, lit by a scattering of torches and lightning from the storm outside. He had his legs crossed and his arms folded across his chest, with Mugen leaning against the sofa beside him. He opened his eyes and frowned curiously when he saw her. "What are you doing up?"

She motioned to the rain-drenched windows. "A nightmare woke me. I think it might have been a memory of the night I ran away from my father. It was raining that night, just like this."

He arched his brows with interest and she crossed the room, perching on the arm of the couch. She drew up a knee and wrapped her arms around it. "I dreamed that the reason I went running into the jungle was because I saw a man calling an Akuma, and being killed by it."

Kanda stared at her silently for such a long time that she reached up to push her hair back from her eyes. "_What_, already?"

"I was trying to picture you being _Lady_ Kassara Vandella. I think you could be – It fits you."

Pink colored the tops of Rifka's cheekbones. "Do you really think Lord Vandella is my father?"

"That painting was pretty accurate, don't you think? I doubt he had it made yesterday just to trap you here."

The blush was replaced with a bitter twist of her lips and Rifka sighed, rolling her eyes. "No, I don't think he did, either."

"Besides, Moyashi's eye,"

"Didn't activate, yeah, I know."

"Oh? And when did you notice that?"

Rifka shut her eyes and looked down. "When Lenalee told me, five minutes ago…"

Kanda leaned his head back and let out a bark of laughter. Rifka sighed again and propped her chin up on her palm, slanting her eyes at him in mild annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want… Are you going to sit there and tell me _you_ had time to notice?"

He stopped laughing abruptly, looking up at her. She had her eyebrows raised expectantly and he looked away sharply, muttering, so she went after him. "And we need to talk about that _distraction…_ You kissed me, Kanda, twice now…"

"Twice…?" He looked slightly alarmed. "You said you didn't remember anything!"

"Of course I did! I don't want them all to know… do you?"

He blanched and she nodded, not needing him to say anything. Her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "We need to talk about it, Yuu… Something's happening between us. I'd love to just blame Darkpaw and be done with it, but I don't think I can."

"Don't call me that name… Anyway, Walker said you did something to me, right after you changed…"

"Um," Rifka ran her hand over her braids to hide that she was getting nervous. Kanda wasn't fooled, and narrowed his eyes. She fidgeted slightly before speaking again. "Well, General Nine said there may be a time of year when I'll make… Uh, she called them _pheromones_…"

"Pheromones…? The stuff that animals use to…" This already wasn't going where he thought it would.

"Attract mates. Yeah, that stuff… I was already gone, Kanda, watching from the inside like I was behind a window. I couldn't have stopped her if I'd known how… And Allen resisted, bless his heart!" She covered her eyes with her hands, her face going scarlet. "If you hadn't stopped her, I don't know what she would have done…"

Kanda clenched a fist and gritted his teeth; unable to admit why what she did to Allen had made him so angry. "I wasn't going to just stand there and watch her _torture_ him. What did she do that for, anyway?"

"To get a response out of _you_, what do you think? Darkpaw wants you. I guess she likes you almost as much as I do. Sometimes I wonder if her emotions are…" She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "No, I don't think they're _stronger_ than mine… Maybe they're just _brighter…_" She shook her head, not making any sense of it. Then she noticed Kanda had gone very still. "What?"

"You said… you like me?"

She blinked, and then snorted out a laugh with a small, sardonic grin. "Jeeze, Kanda, _you're usually so clever_..."

Hearing his own words tossed back at him sparked his temper. Lightning fast, he grabbed her by the braids and pulled her toward him, glaring at her. "You're driving me crazy and it's starting to piss me off, dammit!"

She grabbed either side of his collar and shook him, her eyes glinting angrily. "What? Do you think I'm doing because I think it's _funny?!"_

They snarled at each other for a moment before suddenly kissing as though a switch had been flipped. Rifka clutched Kanda's shoulders as he pressed her down onto the couch.

And then there was a click, and the room flooded with light. The two froze and looked up as a sleep-walking Allen exited the boys' bedroom and walked into the kitchen nook. He blinked at them as he went by, yawning. "Oh… hey… it's you two… Are you… sparring again…?"

Both of them watched, not daring to move, as Allen continued into the kitchen, found a snack, and took it back to bed with him. Grinning slowly, Rifka looked up at Kanda.

"Yeah… sparring…"

He grinned back.

* * *

When everyone was awake again they examined the facts they had learned so far. The outskirts of the town were in ruins. No one in the center of the city seemed aware, but the smaller, poorer communities all gave off the downtrodden sense of futility and despair the Order associated with the presence of Akuma.

Rifka massaged her temple slowly, looking at the others. "Okay… how about this? Two groups, one goes back to the mansion, the other back to the outskirts. We have to find out why the Akuma are here. I have a feeling there isn't any Innocence here, which means they are invading for another reason. We may be dealing with a Broker."

The others nodded in tense agreement. Brokers were human agents of the Earl that exchanged the souls of unwitting victims in exchange for power and money, and stopping them was almost as important as stopping the Earl himself.

They divided the groups between Allen, Rifka and Kanda, and Lavi, Miranda and Lenalee. Lavi looked extremely happy about the selection, and oddly enough, so did Allen. Rifka suspected it was for all the wrong reasons, though.

And so Allen, Kanda and Rifka made the trek back to the mansion. Ringing the doorbell, Rifka was immediately greeted and stared at by a maid that apparently remembered her from the party. The trio was hastily allowed into the parlor.

"Lord Vandella gave us all express directions to invite you in, should you ever return," was the maid's rushed explanation as she fled out the inner doorway, "please wait here while I fetch him!"

Rifka absently tucked her hair back behind her ear as they waited, and Kanda stood guarding the door for surprises, his hand casually resting on his sword hilt. Looking from one to the other, Allen grinned and turned to Kanda, stepping close so Rifka wouldn't overhear.

"So, Kanda, I've been meaning to tell you…"

"What?"

"Congratulations, of course! You finally found a girl that accepts you for the troll you are! Or, does she just not know yet?" He narrowed his eyes at him. "Have you been hiding your true nature from her this whole time? That's not really very smart, you know. You'll never know if it's really true love if you keep secrets from her."

Kanda closed his eyes as Allen babbled at him, and then clenched his teeth, trying to restrain his anger. His hand tightened on his sword hilt so much it began to shake. Finally, he interrupted. "I will kill you, you know… Say one more word, I dare you."

The maid reappeared, breathless. She must have been very eager to be the one to tell her master his daughter had returned. "He's invited you to the sitting room. Please, everyone, this way."

They followed her to the sitting room, a quite space of sofas and armchairs arranged around a large Oriental rug. Rifka went to stand at the center, gazing up at a smaller version of the family portrait, and her fingers went to the charms at her throat, then up to her scar. The child really could have been her from twenty years ago. Politely, Allen and Kanda waited in the doorway, silently watching as Lord Vandella entered from a side room.

"Kassara…?"

She turned, watching him walk toward her looking as stunned and hopeful as he had at the party. But then his face fell. "Oh, I'm so sorry. You're the visitor, one of the Exorcists. Please forgive me; we all keep calling you by the wrong name…"

Rifka smiled softly and shook her head, letting him take her hand. "Please, don't trouble yourself. When I saw this painting, I understood completely. That child… her coloring, her scar… She could be me."

"Even if she's not you, maybe you could be her."

Rifka blinked and looked away from the picture and up at Vandella's face. "Pardon…?"

"As you may recall, I have no heir. With your looks, my dear, you could easily take her place. I would be able to preserve my family name and business by passing everything to you! Instead of some power hungry baron that wouldn't have my town's interests at heart…"

Rifka stared at him, heartbroken. "My Lord, I'm so sorry… As an Exorcist I'm not allowed a… public life. That's insufficient, I apologize, but we're non-profit, I don't make a salary, I'm not even sure it would be allowed…"

Vandella pressed her hands, his tone urgent now. "You wouldn't have to keep the money, don't you see? It could be sent to the town! Or to the order itself! Don't you see the potential? Your order needs funding from _somewhere, _doesn't it? You can't ask the Vatican for _everything_, can you?"

"I…" Rifka felt out of her depth, looking at the eagerness and desperation in Vandella's clear blue eyes. "I _want_ to help you! It's just not… a decision I can make… I have to ask the council."

Vandella sighed and gently patted her hand. "I understand, my dear, I understand." He smiled at her. "I just hope you will consider my offer seriously. When I saw you last night, and now that I see you as you truly are… I can't help but want to know how it came to be so. I hope that you will someday wish to tell me."

Rifka's cheeks colored and she dropped her gaze with a smile. "You are too kind. I _will_ consider your offer, and I _will_ ask the council what I am allowed. The Order needs supporters; I can't imagine they would turn away your help."

The maid reappeared, gently stepping around Allen and Kanda. "Master, Baron Hainsworth is here to see you."

Vandella pressed his knuckles against his temple, closing his eyes in irritation. Rifka looked at him with a mild, keen expression. "Entering stage left, the evil, power-hungry Baron, my Lord?"

He chuckled and looked over at her with a weary smile. "You have no idea. He's been pushing me to sell to him, trying to convince me that he could double our profits if he had a bigger share." He turned to the maid with a nod. "Go ahead, show him in."

"I take it you don't believe him?"

"Not in the slightest. I've taken a look at his personal projects, somewhat obsessively some might say…" He shook his head. "He's messy and cruel to his workers. His projects cost too much and take too long because he guarantees no one's safety and loses half his work force in accidents that he could have avoided. I have been resisting him for these reasons and more, but I'm afraid I may not have a choice soon."

"Right this way, Sir – oh!"

Allen caught the maid as she was rudely shoved aside by the man entering the room. "Are you all right, Miss?" The maid nodded and Allen turned to glare at the new arrival, feeling Kanda silently pushing off the wall and moving to stand beside him. Something about the man's disposition had alerted him, as well.

Vandella was holding out his hand in greeting. "Baron, it's good to see you again. I trust your trip back was pleasant?"

Hainsworth did not take Vandella's hand. Rifka glanced down at his hands, then up at his face, and then over to Vandella. The Lord seemed disappointed but not surprised. Her expression smoothly went from curious, to politely blank.

"I'll have you know that it wasn't, Vandella, so nice of you to ask! If you had simply delayed your departure, we could have returned together on the train!"

Rifka didn't like the sound of his voice, or his tone. In her mind's eye she pictured Darkpaw laying her ears back and hissing. He wasn't a tall man, nor did his physique show any signs that he had ever once worked for a living. Not broad of shoulder, not strong of chest or leg. She would bet two of Allen's lunch tickets that if he removed his gloves, his hands would be baby-soft and, possibly… even manicured. She narrowed her eyes.

"Hainsworth, I'll not start an argument with you that we have already finished. We've both returned now anyways, so what would the point be? Now, what can I do for you today?"

"I've come to respectfully request your answer to my last telegraph, Vandella. Will you, or will you not change your position on our partnership?"

Vandella frowned and Rifka got the sense he had not wanted to have this conversation so soon. "I still haven't given up hope of my daughter's return, Hainsworth. In fact, I –"

"For heaven's sake, Anton, are you seriously going to keep prattling on about your poor lost daughter? If you haven't found her by now, you never will! _You have no heir!_ If you don't secure your business's future _now_ there will be no one there to save you when you need it!"

"Actually, Baron, he _has_ found her."

Hainsworth spluttered and whirled to glare at Rifka, doing a double-take when he saw her and looking her over with a sneer. "And just who the hell are you? And what in the blazes are you doing here dressed like _that,_ you… you trollop!"

Rifka glanced down at her uniform, then back up at the Baron. For a split second there was a green shimmer in her eyes and her lip curled in rage, but then she drew her shoulders back and laid her hand on Vandella's arm. Subtly, she shifted so she was standing beneath the portrait, and then casually she reached up to brush her hair back from her right eye.

The Baron went speechless for a moment, but then his expression became livid. "How did you escape the jungle? A five year old should never have been able to survive!"

Rifka was rocked back by a sudden realization, clutching her head as a flood of missing memories suddenly reformed in her mind, and she pointed at him. "It was _you!_ _You_ were the man in the jungle! I was hiding from _you!"_

And just then, Allen's eye triggered. Gasping, he shouted across the room. "Rifka, watch out! He's an Akuma!"


	10. Master of the Beast

"I will kill you this time…!" Hainesworth's form began to warp and transform.

Turning swiftly, Rifka wrapped her arms around Vandella and sprinted through the side door, pushing him as she turned back. "Father, get everyone out! Run!"

She ran back into the sitting room just as Allen and Kanda joined her before the Akuma. Behind them, the maid screamed and ran out through the main hall. Rifka drew her knives and bared her teeth. "Call _me_ a whore and try to get away with it, you foul bastard! I'll send you beyond in a thousand pieces!"

There were mirrored expressions of outrage on the faces of her friends. "_What_ did he call you?!" They demanded in unison.

"Something he's going to die for, right now." Rifka flexed her hands on the blades and closed her eyes with a low growl. Green fire erupted around her fingers and when she opened her eyes to glare at the Akuma, her eyes were green. She shifted her stance, glancing over her shoulders to Allen and Kanda. "Ready? Go!"

The three sprinted to corner the Akuma between them, attacking at once. Unfortunately things didn't quite go as planned.

"Kill you kill you kill you all now!" The Akuma was screaming madly as cannons seemed to form out of its shoulders. It began to fire rapidly at them, forcing them to run rather than take it on, and the glowing bullets were a sickly, blackish-red color.

"What's the rush?!" Rifka panted as she tried out outrun the bullets. "You can't get the partnership anymore, even if you kill us! Why not take your time?!"

She had been so sure the bullets were catching up to her heels she was unprepared for the one that struck the ground in front of her. With a yelp she blocked her face with her arms, which put her into perfect position. With a wild shriek of laughter, the Akuma fired dead at her.

Kanda and Allen shouted, but it was too late. A direct hit sent Rifka flying backward through the window behind her. Her expression was one of shock as she went airborne; seeming to float for a moment, and then her hair flew up around her face as she began to fall, letting out a sharp cry. She vaguely heard two more shouts from inside, and felt a flutter in her heart from the emotion in Kanda's voice. The shouting was drowned out by more explosions from the Akuma. The creature was preventing her friends from saving her.

She closed her eyes and arched her back. "Darkpaw, I'm counting on you!" Releasing her daggers, her skin immediately began to darken. She drew her arms in against her chest and twisted gracefully, flipping her body upright in the air. She relaxed every muscle in her body, steadied her breathing, and prepared for the landing.

The ground seemed to rush up to meet her. She struck feet-first and sank down into a low crouch, pushing off to the side and launching into a roll. She was unprepared for the amount of energy being transferred through her body, and let out an undignified squawk as she was sent sprawling through a plush courtyard.

Her momentum was halted when she slammed up against a large tree. Her eyes popped open from the shock of pain, and then the glowing green lights went out. Her body went limp, falling to lie face down in the grass.

* * *

_She stood in the middle of a dense, familiar jungle, surrounded by the damp, oppressive heat. She could not see the sun itself, only tiny shafts of it cutting through the canopy. She heard the Darkpaw long before she saw her, a familiar low, hungry growl. Then part of the shadows detached themselves and she saw the bright green eyes and long, sharp teeth coming closer._

"_Hey, this is rather advantageous, isn't it? I want to talk to you, Darkpaw!"_

_Darkpaw continued to circle her restlessly, and after a moment of trying to keep an eye on her, Rifka sighed and closed her eyes. "Doesn't that make you dizzy? No? Well, stop it anyway. I want your attention right now, not your sass."_

_The huge jaguar promptly sat down and arched her ears forward, gazing at her attentively. Rifka clenched her jaw, somehow sensing that she was still being mocked. She squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at the beast. "I'm going to get straight to the point. YOU are MINE! I am not Prey, nor are my friends! There are plenty of Akuma in the world for you to feed on; you should be more than happy with that! In fact, there's a really tough one in that building up there and it's hurting my friends! Wouldn't you like to help me tear it's innards out?!"_

_Darkpaw lunged at her with a roar and Rifka fell to her knees, reaching out instinctively, clutching at handfuls of the giant cat's whiskers. The cat let out a yowl of surprised protest, but Rifka did not let go, forcing the cat to look her in the eyes._

"_Do we have an understanding?!"_

_The cat tried to thrash free but Rifka tightened her grin and bared her teeth, letting out an impressive snarl of her own. "DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ME? MINE! You may have claimed __**me**__ when I was five, but you had better believe I am claiming __**you**__ right now! Now ANSWER ME!"_

_Darkpaw's eyes blazed, almost blinding her, but Rifka stared into them without a lick of fear._

* * *

"RIFKA…!" Kanda shouted out the window, searching the ground, but he was quickly forced to turn and face off against the Akuma as it charged him from the next room. His phantom blades were able to disable the demon's left cannon before he was thrown back by the explosion.

He skidded to a stop near Allen. "Were you able to spot her?"

Irritated, he got to his feet. "No, dammit, this bastard won't let me at the windows long enough! I think it's trying to find her, too!"

Inside the mansion, inside the ruined sitting room, the fighting had continued. Attacks from both Crown Clown and Mugen were only slowing it down. The Akuma had destroyed nearly everything in the sitting room, seemingly desperate to get out, and it was taking all of their coordinated efforts to keep it from leaving and spreading the ruin any further.

"I'm trying again!"

"Wait!"

They had managed to disable its cannons but it still packed a punch, as Allen soon found out – the hard way. Thinking he had a clear shot, he raced forward and sliced cross-wise at the Akuma, only to take a powerful sweeping blow to the gut. He went flying across the room and landed behind some debris. Kanda cursed and ran to check on him.

"Where is it now?" Allen whispered, struggling to sit up.

"It keeps running back and forth in front of the windows, the twitchy prick," Kanda growled, keeping his voice down all the same. He sat up to peer carefully over the top of the armoire they had taken refuge behind. Allen did the same. They glanced around the room and then saw it, running from the side room to the broken window. "It must be a Level Three."

"All those construction accidents Lord Vandella mentioned… how long has it been killing people?"

"Long enough to wipe out the outskirt villages… Vandella mentioned a lot of accidents surrounding all those construction sites this guy owned as a human. He must have been feeding off of all the workers that died there."

The Akuma stopped at the window again, staring out at something. "Oooh… Now who could _you_ be…? Are you _another_ Exorcist come to play? The Earl will be so happy when I tell him how many I killed today…"

Allen, Kanda, and even the Akuma felt the floor shudder beneath their feet. A shadow rippled across the windows as something huge and dark climbed up the oak tree. It scaled nimbly across an outstretching branch then drew back, gathering energy, and then burst into a run. Bounding off the edge of the branch, it soared through the shattered window.

Four large, heavy paws slammed into the chest of the Akuma, driving it down into the floor. The Akuma let out a shout of surprise, beginning to swing its arms, peppering the giant cat with blows. Several shots connected solidly, making her skid back a few feet, enough for the creature to be able to regain its footing.

Allen stared, shocked. "W-what… is that…?" He whispered urgently.

Kanda was staring at the enormous creature in disbelief. "Could it be? Darkpaw…?"

The cat's head came up sharply when she heard her name, and she put her paws down, releasing a roar that made the windows rattle and the color drain from the Exorcists' faces. She skirted the room, flanking the Akuma, and the two exorcists became aware she was on their team. Grinning, they brought their weapons to bear and started the fight again.

"The Earl will be so happy when I bring him your Innocence!" The demon was trying to taunt again, but the Exorcists ignored him. Coordinating their attack, Darkpaw drew its attention while Kanda and Allen attacked from left and right. Trapping the Akuma between them, they each took turns darting forward, slashing at it from different sides every time it turned to attack one of them. Gradually, they began to wear it down.

Finally reaching its breaking point, the demon screamed with rage and, upon turning to face Darkpaw's next attack, suddenly reformed the cannons on its shoulders and began to fire, taking her by surprise. Without any time to dodge, she was forced to take the shots.

She dropped heavily to the floor, but as she got up again it was eerily clear that, this time, she wasn't taking as much damage as she had before.

If fact, with a deep, snarling yowl she seemed to get even bigger. She paced from side to side, brightly glowing green eyes glittering murderously at the demon. Her tail lashed and her ears were laid back, her lips pulled back over all of her long, white teeth.

"Why won't you just die?" It screamed at her. Darkpaw's reply was a sneeze, mocking it carelessly, making it lose its temper. It screamed again and lunged at her, but just then Kanda launched his attack from the left.

Rapid-fire attacks with his phantom blades and netherworld insects drove the Akuma down to one knee. Just as it began to retaliate, Allen attacked with great swoops of his huge sword, knocking the demon to its back. It was dizzy, furious, and getting desperate. It had difficulty finding its feet again, but it turned to find and target Allen, its cannons getting ready to fire.

Darkpaw didn't give it the chance. With another reverberating growl she charged, claws out, and took the demon down again, mauling it viciously. There was a terrible crunching noise and the Akuma began to scream in terror so pure it made Allen and Kanda cringe. They watched as the cat's massive jaws snapped down onto the demon's throat and began to tear and thrash savagely.

Blood flew across the carpet and the screams abruptly ended with the Akuma's head tearing free of its shoulders. The huge cat leapt away as the remains exploded, and the floor shook when she landed, hard enough to make the Exorcists across the room stagger. She turned to face Allen and Kanda and casually sat down, lifting a paw and beginning to clean her whiskers.

When she was satisfied with her cleanliness, she gave her whole body a good shake from head to tail. She settled down, as though kneeling, and began to shrink. Her form became more humanoid, the fur and fangs receding. Rifka quickly became more recognizable, kneeling on the floor, and as the black stain slowly vanished from her skin she fell forward onto her hands, coughing and hacking and taking great gulps of air as though she had been underwater for just slightly too long.

Allen's shock switched to joy when he saw the transformation. Beside him, Kanda was still stuck on disbelief. Rifka climbed to her feet slowly, staggering, and fell sideways against the wall, reaching out with both hands to catch herself before sliding down onto her knees again. While she wasn't looking, Allen cuffed Kanda smartly on the back of the head.

The taller Exorcist smacked Allen's hand away and rushed forward, stopping when Rifka looked up at him. He checked her eyes as he knelt down, amazed that there wasn't the slightest trace of green. "Rifka, what did you do?" He took her hands curiously, seeing that instead of black fingernails, there was now a spotted pattern going up over her hands and arms, like the large rosettes of a jaguar.

"It was a long way down…" her voice was slightly slurred and there was blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, "I felt Darkpaw there with me. She told me how not to die on the landing… and then we had a long talk… it was a nice talk…" Slowly, she reached out to take hold of the front of Kanda's jacket, her eyes slipping out of focus. He blinked at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm… actually… A little dizzy now, and… I think I hit my head…" She dropped into his arms in a dead faint.


	11. Scars

Kanda shifted Rifka in his arms, and then blinked sharply. Bringing one of his hands out from under her, he found his palm covered in blood. "Shit! Hold her for me!" Carefully, he passed Rifka to Allen as he quickly deactivated Crown Clown and knelt to help. Reaching for a shard of glass on the floor, Kanda opened a small cut on his hand and moved Rifka's hair until he found the large open wound at the base of her skull.

Allen stared as Kanda trickled his blood over the wound. "Isn't that… unsanitary…?"

"Shut up."

Kanda's curt response was enough to get a rise out of Allen, but he got distracted by a soft hissing and bubbling noise. Looking down to Rifka, he stared in surprise as the wound began to close. He looked up at Kanda, only to find the samurai pointedly ignoring him while wrapping a bandage around his hand. Once he finished, he began to bandage Rifka's head as best he could.

"She should recover faster now."

"How did you do that?"

Kanda glanced at him blandly, then away again. "Don't worry about it." He reached out to take Rifka back from him, and then he rose to his feet.

Allen frowned and waited for more, but the swordsman merely turned and started walking out of the sitting room. Annoyed, he hurried after him. "Kanda, wait! Tell me what you did!"

"It was nothing. Stop talking about it!"

They reached the foot of the staircase and Kanda paused. Allen suspected he was remembering the night Rifka had walked down those stairs, looking like a proper Lady, like she might have been Kassara Vandella all along. Kanda closed his eyes after a moment before beginning to climb the stairs.

* * *

"No! NO! Oh god, please, no!" They heard Vandella's shouts and saw him and several of his staff running back into the mansion. His face looked stricken; the emotion in his expression seemed genuine. There did not seem to be any question in his mind whether he was Rifka's father or not.

"It's all right," Allen looked up when Kanda spoke so softly. He watched him gently pass Rifka to her father's arms. "She just needs some rest. We need to find the rest of our group, and make sure your city is clear of demons. Then we'll leave."

Stunned, Vandella took Rifka and held her close. "I'll protect her with my life," he said gravely. Kanda glanced up at his face with silent force and he smiled back, "of course, I can see that you'll kill me if she comes to harm while you're gone! She'll receive the best of care – I didn't amass my fortune just to have the nearest doctor be miles away."

That seemed to satisfy Kanda. Nodding, he turned and stalked silently out of the mansion. Allen hesitated and Vandella turned toward him. "He's a very… _intense_ young man, isn't he?"

Allen laughed sheepishly. "You have no idea!"

"Moyashi, let's _go!_ We don't have time to stand around _talking_ all day!"

"Go ahead young man," Vandella urged gently, "I promise I'll take care of her until you come back." He smiled. "She's so lucky to have found friends like the two of you…"

"We all are, sir. We'll be back soon!" Allen ran to catch up.

* * *

Once they collected the rest of the group and explained about the Baron, it was easy to ferret out all the Akuma nests, Vandella easily supplied them with the locations of all the construction sites. They found most of them around the outskirts and the inner city. It took a few days, but they made doubly sure the areas were clear of Akuma before the troop returned to the mansion to collect Rifka.

She was resting peacefully, her head neatly bandaged along with several cuts and scrapes found on her arms, back and legs. She was gently roused by a nurse and helped back into her uniform.

Pain and stiffness made her squint one eye and growl through her teeth as she struggled into the straps of her bra, but she got the clasp done on her own, without help from the kind, yet over-attentive nurse.

She caught her reflection in the mirror and lifted her head to stare. Drawing her eye first were the jaguar markings she had gained on her arms. They started at her biceps and faded to solid black over her wrists and hands. She traced them absently, her lips curving in a small smile. She liked them. Inside, she felt and heard Darkpaw's purr of approval.

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the new markings did a better job at hiding the scars of Darkpaw's bite across her knuckles, and the Innocence stars on her palms stood out more brightly than before. She smiled slightly to herself again. She didn't mind that at all; it was just one less thing to worry about.

Now that she was up on her feet, she did a full inspection. There were dark bruises on her sides and shoulders that stretched out from the edges of her bra and wrapped around behind her. She suspected they were from her violent tumble into the oak tree, judging from the accompanying abrasions.

The darkening bruises and fresh bandages could not mask that her skin was already marred by old scars. Some were very old, small and faded, indicating that she'd gotten them a long time ago. Others were larger, brighter, and more recent. She touched them absently, sighing as she remembered how she got each one of them. Most of the faded ones were from her feral years, fending off animals and humans alike. She shied away from those memories, not wanting to experience them again. Most of the recent scars were courtesy of the Council. More specifically, the people they had sent to return her to normal, using any and all manner of therapies. They had all just assumed they were saving her, but privately she still wondered…

"Oh stop it," she muttered angrily at herself, roughly pulling her jacket over her chest and quickly zipping it up, forcing herself to ignore the pain, "honestly. Thinking about that shit again… You'll never get over it if you keep bringing it back up!" She cut a hand through the air and glared at her reflection. Satisfied by the determination she saw there, she bared her teeth and briskly turned on her heel to leave.

Pain shot through her body and she staggered, clutching her side with a hiss and cursing hotly. Catching her breath she started again, moving carefully. She limped from the bedroom where she had slept and found Kanda and Allen waiting in the foyer. They looked up and ran to her when they saw her, and she reached out a hand to brace herself against the wall, smiling back at them.

"How are you feeling?" Allen asked her.

"Oh… Quite a bit like I fell three stories, hit the ground too hard, and gracefully rolled myself head-first into a tree," Rifka grinned at his apologetic expression and laughed, but blinked in surprise when he ducked his shoulders under her arm. When he started to help her walk toward the door, her expression softened and she ruffled his hair fondly. "Overall… I hurt, but I feel better now than I did when I passed out." She looked at Kanda, walking silently on her other side. "When was that, anyway?"

"Four days ago." At her shocked look, he continued. "Vandella's doctor said the damage to your skull made it impossible for you to travel. HQ ordered the other three to go back ahead of us."

"No wonder I feel so stiff! I've lazed around on my back for four days!" She paused and shook her head. "Not only that but, damn… four days of sleep and I don't remember having a _single_ dream!" She closed her eyes with a wry grin. "How typical…"

Allen looked at her curiously. "Do you normally dream a lot?"

Rifka nodded her head. "Usually every night, unless I'm really exhausted, and some nights I even get more than one." She grinned and snickered a little. "Those are fun to try to write down when I wake up. They almost always get confused."

Allen looked even more curious now. "You write them down?"

Rifka stared at him. "What's wrong, Allen? You don't think I'm girly enough to keep a diary?"

He started to blush. "No! No, wait, that's not it at all! I only meant, I mean, I'd never assume…" He stopped and stared back at her, seeing that she was grinning at him shamelessly. He felt tempted for a minute to drop her and make her walk on her own the rest of the way, but then he imagined that it might hurt her. He sighed and shook his head instead. "You got me that time…"

"Sorry, Allen… I couldn't help it." She ruffled his hair again tenderly, smiling at him with softer eyes. "It's not really a typical diary. I just like to record my dreams. I think the things my subconscious tries to show me are _fascinating_."

Knowing what he knew about her so far, Allen supposed she was right.


	12. If It Doesn't Kill You, You Get Stronger

When they reached HQ, Rifka asked the others to help her to Komui's office. She was gradually regaining her strength and balance, and the walking seemed to help. After a brief conversation with Komui about Lord Vandella, he took her to speak to the Council.

"We hear your return to Kiev was very… eventful, Rifka." Spoke one of the councilmen.

"Now there's an understatement," Rifka muttered. Beside her, Komui smiled awkwardly. Ignoring him, she stepped up to the railing. She saw the Council on the other side of the dark room, and Hevlaska sitting serenely beneath them in the center. She took a moment to consider her words before looking up at them.

"We encountered and destroyed a strong Level Three. It claimed it was the one that chased me into the jungle when I was five. I believe this is the last piece of evidence I needed to confirm that I am Kassara Vandella, the missing daughter of Lord Anton Vandella… and heir to his empire and fortune."

There were some mutterings among the council members before they returned their attention to her. "As an Exorcist you know the rules about public lives. Unless you give up your Innocence you are not allowed to return to your former life of luxury. What is your point?"

"Luxury? You're assuming _that's_ what this is about? I'm not some shallow, spoiled brat that would go running to the first person to offer me money! _You_ made sure I wouldn't be!" She stared at them and tightened her grip on the railing to control her temper. "Lord Vandella is offering aid to the _Order_, and he is a very, very wealthy man. In exchange for acknowledgement that I am his daughter, I bet you could even set up a base in the city. Any Exorcists in the area will be able to stop there, to rest or replenish supplies and safely get in contact with HQ. Contact him, Councilmen, strengthen our foundation and extend our reach! **_That's_** my God-dammed point!"

* * *

Rifka rode the elevator back up with Komui, leaning back against the railing in silence, with her arms folded and her expression petulant. The Supervisor smiled at her gently, deciding not to let her sulk. "Did you really think they would answer you definitively one way or the other?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, pressing her knuckles to her forehead. "No, I really didn't… but did they have to laugh? I wanted to jump up there and punch them all in the face…"

Komui chuckled. "Now, now… We can't have you attacking the Council… What would General Nine say about that?"

Rifka muttered, looking away to hide an embarrassed flush. Komui grinned. "What? I didn't catch that…"

"I said, she'd say: 'Back to the drawing board!' Ugh! She'd make me start all my training over from the beginning! Proper etiquette and table manners… and balancing books on my head…! I will… never… EVER… do any of that – that _bullshit_ again!"

Komui couldn't help but tease her. "Rifka – I do say! Such an unladylike tone! Do you really want your Master to know you used such coarse language in the presence of your Supervisor? She may suspect you've neglected your studies."

Rifka went white, and then she looked up at the ceiling, sighing and quieting her temper. She took that kind of threat seriously, apparently. "No, no, please… I'll behave…" She smirked to herself after a moment, though, picturing herself balancing books on her head while walking the old tightrope again. She had a feeling she could do it now without dropping anything. Perhaps a challenge was in order…

The elevator came to a stop just as Komui laid his hand on her shoulder gently. "I'm sure they'll make the right decision, Rifka." They stepped off and started walking. "By the way, why didn't you tell them your memory has returned?"

Rifka clenched a fist with a dark grin. "Because I remember things now that I wish I didn't. I remember every single bloody thing those bastards from Central said and did to me… And I'm going to save it, and I'll use it against them – if I have to." She glanced up and saw his expression. "Look, I'll tell Bookman all about it, okay? He's going to want to know what happened with Darkpaw anyway, Lord knows he documented everything else… but I'm not telling the Council _or_ Levellier or anyone like them _anything,_ and YOU can't make me!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" He walked with her a few steps, and then surprised her by suddenly steering her into a room with a cheerful smile. She sighed and dropped her shoulders when she saw it was just the infirmary.

A tall, slender man wearing an Exorcist jacket and copious amounts of bandages looked up when they came in. "Rifka, what are you doing here – again? For someone who hates the hospital wing so much, I certainly do seem to keep meeting you here…"

"Hi Damon, again…" She smiled a little. "Come on now, you should know it's not like that! I don't hate the hospital wing itself… I just… don't have many fond memories of it. I love you guys because you take really good care of me, but every time I end up here it means I fucked up."

The Head Nurse turned toward her with a scornful frown. "Watch your mouth, young woman!"

Rifka flinched. "Sorry… I'm sorry, Head Nurse, forgive my language. It's true, though…" She rubbed her hands over her face as she limped her way over to a bed, letting nurses take her jacket and replace it with a white hospital gown. Resigned, she sat down on the bed and stared at the wall as they started removing her bandages and checking her wounds. Some of the bruises were still tender and she closed her eyes, trying to meditate through the pain and irritation.

"Now Rifka," Komui chided her gently from the doorway, "let the nice medical staff change your bandages, that's a good girl. And if they tell you to rest, I expect you to obey, understood?"

"_Obey?"_ Something about the word sparked her temper and her gaze cut to him sharply. She was opening her mouth to say something scathing, but a nurse pulled one of her bandages off just then and she let out a shrill, startled yip instead. She closed her eyes and clamped a hand over her mouth as her eyes watered. While she was distracted, Komui grinned and vanished.

"So, what happened this time?" As usual, Damon began speaking to her in his calm voice, distracting her from the pain with casual conversation.

"A Level Three, with a fifteen year grudge…" Rifka muttered as she wiped her eyes. "But if it didn't kill me, at least it made me stronger, right?"

The heavily bandaged medic-Exorcist walked over to her, his eyes concerned. When he neared, Darkpaw commented that his burns smelled like they were healing, and that the new salve he was using smelled better than the previous kind. "Were you fighting it alone? You look awful!"

Rifka closed her eyes, smiling slightly and taking the comment in stride. "It threw me out a window, thank you very much… A very high up one, and then to top it all off, I landed on a tree. They said my head wound was really bad, but the rest of these are just scrapes."

"Well then, we'll start with the head wound, all right?"

"All right…" Really, what was she going to tell the Healer-Exorcist, 'no'? "So how's your training coming? Is your aim improving?"

Damon began unraveling the bandage around her head. "Yes, actually – well, _I_ think it is. I'm sure those two Finders that got tangled in it the other day don't feel the same, but the truth is I hit more or less where I was aiming."

"That's good. So, what's it like working with General Socalo?"

Damon paused slightly, looking back at her with his eyes betraying his nerves. "He's scary. But I think it's going well. I'm learning a lot. I have to get faster with my Bandages, and I have to get more accurate, too, or it's really no use."

"I know what you mean… I'm glad it's going well, though. I'm not sure what would have happened to me if I'd been given to him instead of to General Nine." She suspected she'd be a lot more feral still if their situations were reversed. She brightened with a sudden thought. "Hey. If they haven't sent you out again by the time I'm better, I'll help you work on your aim, okay?"

"I'd like that, Riffie. Thank you. Now, hold still…" She winced slightly when he began to check the wound at the base of her skull. He applied a salve and a clean dressing. "Good news is it looks like you're healing. Bad news is it's still a head wound… Just to be safe, you should sleep under supervision. We have to rule out a concussion."

"Angh… Do I have to stay in here?"

Damon laughed. One could never say that Rifka was inconsistent. "You and your fear of the infirmary… No, I suppose you don't. Just make sure someone stays with you when you go to sleep tonight."

"I will, Damon. Thank you." She sighed, feeling tired from forcing her body to walk after spending so long in bed, but she pushed herself to her feet again. She worked her shoulders a little, trying to loosen up before taking her coat back from a helpful nurse. "Do you know where Bookman is?"

Damon checked the hour. "If he's not out on a mission, he might be having tea right about now. So I would try the cafeteria."

Rifka nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you." She shuffled off to see if the old man was in the cafeteria. Maybe he would know what all the changes with Darkpaw meant.

* * *

**AN: Damon belongs to my friend Koenig!**


	13. Their Understanding

That night, Rifka found she was unable to sleep. She slid gingerly from the bed, revealing pajamas that consisted of white shorts and matching camisole, both with a blue cornflower pattern over them. She pulled her shoes on in silence before slipping out the door, careful to step over Kanda's legs without waking him. He was propped up against the wall near the foot of her bed, Mugen close at his side, positioned so he could watch her sleep and jump to her aid, or to her protection if needed. He was going to be angry when he realized he'd dozed off…

"He's going to kick my ass for taking advantage of it, too." She sighed, glancing back. She would deal with it when it came to that.

Bookman hadn't been able to compare Darkpaw's changes to anything he'd recorded before. General Nine had an animal Innocence too, but Lou Shimin had never started out as part of her. Allen's Clown Crown was able to turn into an armor-type Innocence, but he was still human inside of it. In the end, all he could tell her was that she was similar, but different, so perhaps the Innocence is truly unique to the user. Rifka felt there was only one other person she could talk to.

She took the elevator down to Hevlaska's chambers again, moving to the railing to gaze up at the unearthly guardian.

"An unexpected visit… Rifka…" spoke the slow, warm, echoing voice, "what is on… your mind…?"

"We're alone right now, right Hevlaska? You and I, right now?"

"Yes… The Council has gone… for the evening…"

"Something happened with Darkpaw, Hevlaska… I lost my weapons in an early battle and my Innocence overwhelmed me. She gave me the strength to defeat my enemies, but then she attacked my friends!" Rifka stared up at her, her expression earnest. "And then… And then later on, I fell and hit my head… I don't know how, but while I was unconscious, I was able to speak to her. We… I guess we came to an understanding."

Hevlaska gazed down at her quietly. "Will you tell me what happened?"

Rifka looked away, ashamed. "Well, the first time… I wish to God I didn't remember, but I saw all of it. Felt _all_ of it. My skin went black and hardened, my teeth got all long and sharp, my nails became these huge claws, and it was all just like last time_._ I saw the Akuma and I _wanted_ to kill them! The smell of their blood _excited_ me… And when I saw that they were all gone, I realized Kanda and Allen were there. And then, and I couldn't believe it, but I…"

She laughed bitterly, gripping the railing and leaning over it to stare down into the darkness. "I really hope Allen won't hold it against me. I don't even know if he's had his first kiss yet and I tortured him like that…"

Hevlaska didn't need Rifka to explain any further. "It was poor timing, Rifka… When you transformed into Darkpaw, the successful kills, the smell of blood, and then the arrival of a dominant male, it sent you into Heat. It is the right time of year for it, after all… If we could have afforded not to send you into battle, the Council would have kept you in your room."

"H-Hevlaska…" Rifka was struck dumb, her expression more than stunned. "In Heat? Does… Does that mean… I could get…?" Her hands slid over her stomach, a shadow falling over her eyes.

Hevlaska's hands reached down again, caressing over Rifka's stomach. "You are not pregnant… I take it you have been… intimate with Kanda…?"

"What!" Rifka shook her head quickly, her face going scarlet. "No! No! I mean, it feels like we've become _closer_, but we haven't done anything like _that…_" She looked away, running her hand over her hair. Her brain was conspiring with Darkpaw to get her flustered, flashing memories through her mind. Kanda's hand in her hair, gripping tightly… His lips against hers… His breath in her ear, his weight as he pinned her down…

_Not yet,_ Darkpaw seemed to be telling her, _WANT. Soon!_

Rifka shivered shook her head firmly to clear it. She didn't want to linger on the way it felt when Kanda touched her these days. It took her a moment to calm down and reorganize her thoughts without Darkpaw's lusty interference. "Um, anyway, the second transformation was amazing! It was like nothing I've ever done before…"

If Hevlaska was bothered by her desperate change of topic, or suspected her of anything at all, it didn't show. "Go on…"

Rifka described becoming the giant black jaguar, how Darkpaw seemed to form around her like a shield, protecting her body from any further damage and enabling her to continue fighting until the level three was brought down. Once the fight was over, the shield was removed, and she was forced to deal with her injuries.

A dozen of Hevlaska's hands stretched down and circled around Rifka, gently drawing her into the air, and she brought her forehead down to hers.

"10%... 25%... 37%... 56%..."

The number continued to climb until Hevlaska finally paused and gently placed Rifka back on her feet. "85% synchronization… As I recall, when you were first brought to me… You could barely reach 40%. You and your Innocence are… working together much better now. The 'understanding' you mentioned? I believe… it is very strong… Before, when you were young… Darkpaw was very protective of you… I would take control quickly… to prevent any harm from coming to you. Now it seems… she is willing to work… _with_ you…"

"She accepts that I'm strong enough for her now, is that it? That actually makes a lot of sense. But, Hevlaska, even after all of that, can we really still have more room to grow?"

"Only time… will tell…"

"I suppose you're right. Thank you Hevlaska… good night."

"Be well, Rifka… And be careful…"

* * *

Rifka took the elevator up and to hurried back to her room. Calming herself at the door, she entered and turned to shut the door very carefully and as quietly as she possibly could, only to find Kanda leaning against the wall beside the bed with his arms crossed, already awake. He was staring out the window at the sky, watching the moon rise. His face was calm, but she could see his fists were clenched.

_Crap. _"Kanda wait, let me explain…"

"I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you," his quiet voice was chilly through gritted teeth; "I woke up suddenly and you were gone. You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid before you were healed, so I decided to wait and see if you came back here."

She shivered under the force of his anger and crossed the room to him. He ignored her pointedly, but she accepted that. "Kanda, you don't have to be mad – I kept my promise! I swear I didn't do anything stupid! I needed to ask Hevlaska a question." She sighed. "A lot of questions, actually. I was frightened, by what happened with my Innocence. And by what it might mean."

That got his attention. He finally turned to look down at her, and was surprised when she took his hands and held them tightly.

"Hevlaska told me that this is the time of year where Darkpaw goes into Heat." She nodded when she saw his eyes widen. "Yeah, I know, that's what _I_ said. Listen; remember what I said about the pheromones? When I lost my mind in the outskirts and you pulled me back… Kanda, I guess you _claimed_ me, and it's making me… um, I mean, now when I'm around you, I… I s-start to feel like… Like I…" she was blushing deeply and he stared back at her, silent and unhelpful. "I want… I just… I wanted to warn you… That if we don't stop… or if we're not careful…"

"What? You think I wouldn't want it?"

The amused tone to his voice surprised her. She stared up at him and he watched a soft smile curve across her lips. "I try never to assume things… but that makes me feel better, Yuu…"

He drew her into his arms, closing his eyes with a sigh. "Stop calling me that…" He smirked when she laughed. "Besides, you belong to me now, isn't that what it meant? I wouldn't throw that away."

She was stunned and stared up at him. "You… You understood what happened? And you let me stand here and _flail_ like that?" He felt her hug him tightly and coughed sharply when she punched him in the ribs. "You are such a _jerk._"

He chuckled pushed her toward the bed. "Don't tell me you're surprised, Kitten? Now go back to bed."

"Ooh? I get my very own nickname now?" She grinned as she sat down on the bed and began to remove her boots, aware that he was watching. She did her best to ignore the flutter in her gut accompanied by Darkpaw's hungry growl, and slid back under the covers. "Why's mine so much nicer than Allen's?"

"It suits you, doesn't it? Just like his suits him. What does Darkpaw think?"

Rifka's gaze turned inward and she gave a quick, sharp snort, rolling her eyes. "Oh, she thinks you're _hilarious_."

"She always has…"

"Honestly… Calling a cat that big _Kitten_… You've got some nerve… Stupid Kanda…"

A silence followed. He grinned when he realized she had fallen asleep. He placed Mugen against the nightstand and got comfortable again on the floor, folding his arms and stretching out his legs. "And you always have to be difficult, don't you Kitten?"

Her hand gently snaked down from the bed, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him up to the edge of the mattress. He felt her lips against his ear and his heart suddenly started to pound. "I think I like it…" She whispered to him, "Almost as much as the way you call my name."

"Wait. You… you heard…?"

"Mhmm… Both times." Then she rolled over and really went to sleep, leaving him on the floor to blush in the darkness.


	14. Obediance is for Dogs

In the morning, Rifka reported to the infirmary as ordered, smiling as she wandered inside as though she were simply dropping by for a friendly visit.

"Ah, there you are," the Head Nurse scolded when she spotted her, "breezing in whenever, as usual, free as you please. I was told to expect you hours ago."

Rifka hopped onto a bed and held out an arm blandly, watching disinterestedly as her vitals got checked one by one. "I wanted some breakfast first." She paused, her eyes finally showing signs of regret. "Did I mess up your schedule?"

"Not as such, no, but why can't you just show up when you're told, like everyone else?"

A smile threatened the corners of Rifka's shapely mouth and she looked down, speaking softly. "Because I'm not like everyone else, am I, Aunty?"

The Head Nurse's stern expression softened slightly, for a moment, and she stepped back. "Well, anyway, it looks like you're back up to full health."

Rifka swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet, happy that she only felt a small twinge of pain from the worst of her bruises. "Excellent! Thank you!"

"Now, don't let me catch you back here for a while, all right?"

"I hear and… And I…" her right eye twitched as she recalled Komui's words from before, instructing her to obey. "I will do my best."

"The saying is usually 'I hear and obey,' Rifka."

There was a glint in Rifka's eyes and she swept out of the infirmary without looking back, showing her teeth in a feral grin. "Obeying is for _dogs._"

"And for willful students still hoping to become strong Exorcists, isn't that right?"

A little _eep!_ escaped Rifka lips and she drew her shoulders back, turning. She mastered her expression into a blank mask, and bowed to the tall, blonde female standing in the hallway. "Sensei…! When did you get back?"

"Komui told me I'd find you here, delaying your visit to the hospital wing like always." General Nine watched her with a mildly amused expression, her Innocence-possessed white monkey dancing on her shoulder when he recognized Rifka. "I got back this morning… Now, why were you in the infirmary _this_ time, Rifka? Were you sparring too roughly with Kanda again?"

Rifka straightened. "No, Sensei… I fought a level three on a mission, and it threw me out a window. I took a head wound and Komui insisted they make sure I didn't have a concussion."

"No concussion then? Good – your resilience always had been pretty high. I heard you've made progress with your Innocence, also. Show me."

Rifka removed her jacket again to show the General her new markings, the Innocence stars standing out brightly on the palms of her now all-black hands.

General Nine reached out to curiously trace one of the spotted rosettes. "Interesting… and quite attractive, too… So tell me, is Darkpaw still asserting herself against you?"

Rifka shook her head as she slid back into her jacket and zipped up the front, falling into step with her master as the older woman began walking. She stayed slightly behind her and to the left. "Not anymore, no. She's mine to control now."

"Is that so? I will be the judge of that."

Rifka pressed her lips into a firm line to stifle a sigh. "Yes, of course, Sensei…"

"And I see you still hate the word 'Master.'" There was still a note of amusement in Nine's tone.

"I can't help it…" It dawned on her what she had just said, and she closed her eyes with a doomed expression when her usual complaint escaped her lips.

"No, I suppose you can't, can you? Masters are for dogs and slaves, after all."

Hope caused Rifka to open her eyes, and she grinned, following her General into the gym more eagerly. Once there, they discovered Allen and Lenalee talking with a new girl, Melody, about the need for agility and response time in battle.

"You have to be able to dodge incoming attacks, otherwise you're just a sitting duck," Allen was saying as Rifka walked over to them with a wave.

"But how am I supposed to train that without getting myself killed?" Mel wanted to know. She beamed when she saw Rifka, and she and others waved back.

"I like parkour for training agility; I think it's really fun." She saw Mel's envious and hopeful expression and grinned, "I suppose that's pretty advanced, though. How about…" She looked around, "these!" She went over to a large net full of red rubber balls and dragged it over with a big grin. She took one out and bounced it in her hand a few times. "We can start you out with these! They won't hurt so badly if we hit you with them, but you'll still learn to dodge real fast!"

General Nine suddenly clapped her hands. "Rifka, this is wonderful!"

Frowning, Rifka looked over at her. "It is? It's just dodge-ball, Sensei…"

"You've made friends! Congratulations!"

Rifka bristled, trying to hide her blush with anger. "Why do you sound so surprised?! I have _lots_ of friends!"

General Nine smiled, able to see through the anger to her disciple's embarrassment. "Oh? Have I been away so long? You never used to be so outgoing… In fact, if I recall correctly, you used to perch above the Gatekeeper like a gargoyle, watching everyone coming and going…"

Rifka thrust a hand into her hair, pointedly looking away, her cheeks burning. She could feel the others staring at her with acute interest. She really didn't like being the one getting teased! "Well! Back then I didn't speak English very well! It was embarrassing trying to talk to people!"

"You speak English just fine now, though, Riffie." Melody told her, trying to make her feel better.

Opening her mouth, the darker girl turned to look at her with a smile, shaking off her mood. "Thanks, Mel. C'mon, let's get started! We can take a break at lunch!"

General Nine casually sat back with her white monkey perched on her shoulder, and watched the young Exorcists playing dodge-ball as a means to build agility. They eventually started to show off when they saw that Melody could keep up. Allen activated Crowned Clown, Lenalee was using Dark Boots, and Rifka activated Darkpaw. They all tried to see who was faster, leaping and bounding around the room, laughing.

Nine smiled to her monkey, scritching him behind his ears. "Look at her now, Lau Shimin. She can even work with groups. She's come a long way, hasn't she?"

* * *

Earlier that day, Lavi was out finishing up a mission. As he was gathering information from the locals, a cat lazily rubbed its chin across his foot, purring loudly. It slowly fell over his foot and flipped over onto its back, batting at the air with a soft yowl.

Lavi blinked at the creature before kneeling down to scratch it softly behind the ears, watching it close its eyes and curl its tail happily. "Hey Mr. Cat, what's up with you, huh? You look a little… drunk!"

"Oh," one of the locals he had been talking to started to laugh, "You'll see that a lot around here… There's catnip growing wild everywhere around here. They love the stuff."

Lavi stared as the cat tried to get up. It needed a few tries before it was able to pad away, staggering comically from side to side.

And then… he got a brilliant idea…

* * *

"B-Set's ready, come and get it!" Jerry called from the window.

"That's mine," Rifka said as she started to get up from the table. She had changed into her white and gold outfit for the dodge-ball game and was showing off her sleek, toned frame.

"Oh wait, allow _me!"_ Lavi, whom had made it back from his mission just in time for lunch, gestured for her to sit back down as he jumped to his feet. Rifka winged a brow at him, smiling uncertainly.

"Okay, thanks, Lavi…"

The redhead ran down to the order window and accepted Rifka's tray of food, and then, after some quick double-checking around him, to make sure no one was watching, he sprinkled something over the food. He brought the tray to the table and set it down before Rifka with a flourish.

She was still looking at him like she already suspected him of something, so he grinned and sat down, maintaining innocence. "What's going on today? It's not my birthday, is it Lavi?"

"No, why? Can't I just do something nice for you, just because?"

Rifka smiled and tucked her hair back behind her ear. "No. Thank you anyway, though." She sat up unexpectedly and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome home, by the way."

He fell over in shock and hearts floated up around him. "STRIKE!" He cheered from the floor. Rifka laughed and began to eat.

After lunch Lavi walked her out of the cafeteria, trying to maintain a casual air. "So what're you going to go do now?"

Rifka slanted a gaze at him that was equal parts dangerous and playful. "After lunch I like to go sit in the sun for a while. Then maybe I'll find Kanda for a spar or Mel for a run. I decided to see if she's any good at parkour, since it's more fun in a group than alone."

Lavi had immediately pictured Rifka lounging by the lake in a bikini and began to grin. "You sure know how to enjoy the little things…"

Rifka glanced at him again, beginning to seriously doubt his intentions. "Comes with having a cat in my brain, I guess."

They exited the main building together and strolled down to the lake. Blinking, Lavi gazed out across the water in awe. "Wow… it's a really nice day, today!"

"Yeah, getting cooler out but not too… windy…" Rifka swayed slightly, reaching up to rub at her eyes with a frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know… Everything's... getting blurry…" She reached out to steady herself against his shoulder. Her fingertips began to glow and when she turned toward him, he saw her eyes were turning green, too.

Lavi paled. "Darkpaw? What are you doing here?"

Rifka's response was a soft growl, sliding her hands over his shoulders with a dangerous grin, and then she suddenly hooked her foot around his ankle and shoved him down onto the grass, landing on top of him. She purred deeply, brushing her nose along his throat, which drove him instantly out of his mind.

"Hmmmm… You smell like _lies_, Lavi, I've never noticed that before… What are you hiding from me…?" She opened her mouth and slowly bit down on his neck.

_Oh crap! She knows! Misdirect! Misdirect! _"It was catnip!" Lavi's eyes flew open and he was suddenly not excited anymore, feeling her putting pressure on his neck and realizing he really didn't want to trust her with his jugular. "I snuck catnip into your lunch! I'm sorry!"

Rifka stared down into his eyes. "Catnip…? _Lavi_…" She slid her hands over his chest, her lips dangerously close to his, and just when he began to blush again, she grabbed his shoulders and slammed him a few times against the ground, then hauled him up to glare into his eyes. "_Are you nuts?!_ If I lose control of her I could _hurt_ someone!" She shoved him back onto the ground and leapt away, running back inside.

Lavi stayed sprawled in the grass, dazed. "Oh crap!" It occurred to him where she might be going and he jumped up to run after her.

She checked the gym, but Allen, Melody and Lenalee had not seen him. She checked the infirmary, but the Head Nurse had not seen him either. She checked the library, the courtyard, and Komui's office, but still no one had seen him. She was running out of time and there was only one more place to look.

Kanda looked up sharply when the door to his room suddenly banged open. He stopped pulling on his shirt to grab Mugen from beside the bed. He had the sword drawn and ready when Rifka staggered in, and he stared as she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it heavily, panting desperately.

"Ohhh… How's that saying go?" She gasped, showing her teeth in a wild, nervous giggle before dropping her head, "it's always in the last place you look…"

He lowered the sword, confused and alarmed. "Rifka, what's going on? What happened?"

She started to laugh and slowly lifted her head, showing that she was grinning mischievously. Her eyes flashed bright green, startling him. "Mmmm… Hi again, Kanda… She never lets me out on her own anymore, have you noticed that?"

"Darkpaw…!"

They stared at each other, silently squaring off, he with his hair down and his shirt half-on, and she in her split-skirt and tee. With a hungry grin she dug in her toes and sprang forward. With a muffled curse, he caught her in his arms and went down under her.

* * *

Lavi approached Kanda's door and began to tiptoe, sliding along the wall until he could reach for the doorknob. He froze when he heard muffled voices and heavy breathing from inside, and pressed his ear to the door.

"Ow!_ Dammit_, Riffie… How would you like it if I bit _you_ that hard…?"

"Ooh…" Rifka's voice held a deep, sensual laugh, "you think you can handle the consequences of that, Yuu…?"

"Dammit… how many times… Stop _calling_ me that!"

"Oh! _OH!"_ Her sharp gasps dissolved into delighted laughter.

Lavi's expression was shocked at first, but it slowly shifted to mischievous. "Finally…! I'm going to confirm the rumor of Yuu and Rifka's relationship!" Carefully turning the knob as silently as possible, he threw the door open and lunged into the room. "AHA!"

Someone should have told him to be careful what he wished for. The first things he saw nearly derailed his entire train of thought. First, there were hands, clutching, Rifka's balled tightly in Kanda's hair, and Kanda's at the back of her head and her thigh. Then, there were lips, Rifka's parted in a gasp and Kanda's fastened tightly to her neck. Upon Lavi's intrusion, they both looked up sharply.

Faces were flushed and chests were heaving, but it all fell to the background when he realized Rifka was sitting astride Kanda's lap, and Kanda's hand had been pushing her skirt up.

He was almost too stunned to notice the blood trickling from a love-bite on the side of Kanda's neck and from scratches down his shoulders and back. He stared at them in awe. "Oh, wow… It's actually _true…_"

The castle as a whole heard their infuriated shouts. "_LAVI!_"

He quickly realized his mistake and took off running, but they weren't going to let him get away. He tried to lose them through the science division, but they remained hot on his heels, and heads turning as all three pelted through. He took the stairs and sprinted into the training rooms.

* * *

Allen, Lenalee, and Melody were working on the new girl's agility again with another friendly game of dodge-ball. Lavi plowed right through the middle of it, grabbing a ball from the air and twisting to chuck it at Kanda.

The enraged samurai swiftly sliced Mugen through the ball, the two halves flying past him. Lavi paled and turned to run again, but Rifka caught up to him and pounced onto his back, driving him down into the mat face-first. Kanda leveled the blade at Lavi's neck.

They gradually became aware that there were people staring at them. "Oi, Kanda," Allen called over to them and Kanda looked at him, absently sliding Mugen back into its sheath, "what's going on?" He bounced a dodge ball idly in his hand.

"You saw _nothing,_" Rifka growled into Lavi's ear, "_nothing,_ or I swear I will _literally_ eat your heart out, Rabbit!" She got to her feet, casually tugging down the hem of her skirt. "Lavi bet us we couldn't catch him in an all-out dash from the dormitory to the gym. He almost made it."

"Is that so? Then… where's your shirt, Kanda? And why are you all bloody? And why are you both barefoot…?"

"We were sparring!" Rifka and Kanda blurted together. Rifka turned quickly and ran a hand over her neck, hiding the hickey there from view. It was a good excuse, but Allen still didn't look convinced, narrowing his eyes at them both suspiciously. After a moment of silence, Rifka sighed and gave up with a smile, leaning her head back as she started to laugh. Kanda clenched his jaw and looked aside, remaining silent.

**BONK!**

Kanda's eyes went wide and blank when he was suddenly smacked upside the head with a ball. Allen's hands were now conspicuously empty. He apparently hadn't been able to resist. Slowly, Kanda drew his hands into fists. "_Moyashi_…"

Rifka clutched her sides as she started laughing all over again, and Kanda slowly turned his head to glare at her.

**BONK!**

"Ack!" Rifka's laughter was interrupted by a squawk of surprise when she was smacked in the head by another red ball. She lost her balance and fell over onto the mat. When she sat up she looked around, and saw that Melody was no longer holding a ball either. Rather than getting mad, though, she grinned broadly. "Oh, now it's ON! Let's play!"

* * *

**AN: Melody belongs to my friend Ashleigh -!**


	15. Of Dodgeball and Catnip

Dodge-ball dissolved into parkour lessons after much pleading and puppy-eyes from Melody, and though they had never heard the term before; Kanda, Allen, Lavi and Lenalee all proved to be quite good at it, since running, jumping, flipping and bouncing off of things were all fight-mechanics they were well versed in. Though, they had to admit, doing such things while not in battle and without needing to carry their weapons made it much more enjoyable.

Melody couldn't run as fast or jump as high, but she made up for it with enthusiasm, and by the time the dinner bell was ringing she had already learned several jumps and rolls she would later be able to turn into intricate flips after some more practice. She made Rifka promise to teach her, but the way her friend was smiling told her she hadn't really needed to be asked.

Before going to dinner they made a stop at the baths, separating into groups. After exchanging her clothes for a towel, Rifka bound her long hair into a bun and joined Lenalee and Melody in the steaming spring water. She sighed loudly and leaned her head back as she relaxed, only to become aware that she was being stared at. She looked up, glancing from one to the other.

"What?"

"Your – your scars…" Lenalee looked apologetic, "I'm sorry, Rifka. Somehow I always thought you only had the one." She gestured to her eyebrow.

Rifka brushed her fingertips absently over the white line through her right eyebrow, smiling wryly, and relaxed back again, letting her gaze slide up at the sky. Apparently she wasn't shy about her battle-worn appearance. "You know, sometimes I still wonder how I managed to keep my face this clear, when the rest of me looks like a road map."

She paused for a moment, her gaze going distant and her voice getting quieter. "Don't feel bad, Lenalee… I earned most of them – and some of them I even deserved. As for the ones I didn't deserve… well…" She clenched a fist and bared her sharp teeth, but then she relaxed her hand and brushed away her thoughts, smiling at her friends. "Well, never mind that."

Lenalee turned sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "LAVI," Melody and Rifka blinked in surprise when she shouted, "you're not peeking again, are you?!" Melody let out a cry and immediately covered her chest too, while Rifka merely slanted a saucy grin at the divider, arching her brow.

There was a splash from the other side of the divider followed by frantic gurgling and more splashing. It sounded like the lusty redhead was being dunked by his cohorts. The girls grinned at each other and began to laugh.

When they returned to the locker room to dry off and get dressed, Rifka set her uniform aside and got a small bag out of her locker. Opening it, she withdrew a small, hand-sized jar, which she quietly opened to reveal a pale green salve. She took a few fingers full and began to slowly massage it into the worst of her scars, mainly the ones along her shoulder blades and lower back.

"That looks difficult," Melody observed, "here, hold on." She moved over and began working on the edges Rifka wasn't able to reach herself. The sigh of relief was thanks in itself, but Rifka smiled at her again.

"Thanks. It is difficult sometimes."

"What made these…?" Melody wondered out loud. Rifka shivered a little, tickled by the fingers tracing the jagged scars.

"Claws, teeth, swords… spears… I think an arrow or two… and a whip." At first, Rifka had named the weapons glibly, as though they meant nothing, but her friends were getting wise to the way she tended to hide her true feelings behind her easy attitude. They could tell the person that had whipped her had not been forgiven yet, unlike the rest.

"That sounds terrible, Riffie…"

Rifka drew in a deep breath and sighed. "I looked like easy prey as a child, lost in the jungle, and the humans I found couldn't understand me… I got hurt a lot just by being clumsy, too, so they're not all so dramatic." She rolled her shoulders when Melody had finished rubbing in the salve, and started getting dressed. "Thanks for doing that for me. Bookman says the salve will help them fade, but they'll probably never go away completely. They'd heal faster if I could apply it more often."

Lenalee looked at her thoughtfully. "You could always have someone at the infirmary," she stopped at Rifka's curt head-shake, "oh that's right. You hate it there. Nevermind…"

Melody grinned and lowered her eyelashes. "Maybe you should ask _Kanda_ to help you with it…"

At Rifka's bright blush, both Melody and Lenalee giggled.

* * *

Dinner that night was full of laughter and teasing. There was even a moment when Allen and Rifka eyed each other's trays and playfully switched dishes with each other, while the others rolled their eyes at them.

After turning her plates in at the kitchen window, Rifka slipped elusively away, but just when the others were starting to wonder where she had gone, she returned with her guitar slung across her back. She raised her eyebrows at their surprised expressions as she dropped down onto her seat again.

"What?"

"You left, and you didn't say anything!"

Rifka's brows drew inward slightly. "Okay, so…? I came right back, didn't I?" Leaning back in her chair, she propped her heels up on the table and began to tune the chords, humming along absently. This caused Melody to perk up brightly, and Rifka lowered her eyelashes as she felt everyone's attention focus on her as she began to play.

The tune was peaceful, subtly uplifting, and seemingly effortless. For a moment, even Kanda seemed to be listening, instead of trying to ignore them all.

And then Melody began to sing. Where she found the words, nobody knew. Rifka lifted her head, so surprised she almost stopped playing, but by the grace of God she never missed a single chord. When Melody began the chorus Rifka startled everyone when joined in, and her low, purring voice harmonized smoothly with Melody's soprano.

At the end of the chorus Rifka laid her fingers on the chords to still the sounds. Melody beamed at her, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry! I was so inspired – I just _had_ to! I hope it didn't ruin your song!"

Rifka smiled at her, shaking her head. "Don't be silly, you gave me a wonderful gift just now."

"That was beautiful!" Lenalee gushed. "You two sounded wonderful together!" She turned to Rifka. "I didn't know you could sing, too!"

Rifka's grin was embarrassed, bordering on shy. "Sure I can… I just normally…don't. Hold on!" She lurched to her feet, sliding her guitar onto the table. "Paper – I need paper! A pencil, too!"

Luckily, one of the Finders that had been eating dinner at the same time rushed over with the desperately needed items, and Rifka quickly began to fill the paper with musical notes, capturing the song Melody had given her in ink.

"There! I think that's it." Rifka sat back and gazed at the paper warmly, proudly. Just then, Kanda opened his eyes and lifted his head, looking over at her casually. She glanced back at him, curious, but all he did was get to his feet and take his tray to the kitchen window. Puzzled, she watched him walk away.

"I think you might have actually gotten better." He told her over his shoulder with a smirk.

Her mouth opened slightly and the others started snickering when she blushed at the compliment. Then she blinked and put her feet down, sitting up. "Hey wait! What do you mean, _might have_?! Come back here!"

Kanda left the cafeteria, completely ignoring her. His departure seemed to signal the group to break up, and everyone began drifting off in their own directions. Rifka scowled and cracked her knuckles before picking up her guitar again, brushing moodily at the chords.

Allen grinned at her, laughing a little. "What did you expect him to say, Riffie? 'Oh Rifka, your music is so beautiful!'?" Clutching his hands to his face, he accented his words with an over-exaggerated fan-girl expression.

Horrified by the thought of Kanda saying or doing such a thing, Rifka jerked her head up. As she thought about it though, she began to laugh, and after a moment she shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "Oh Lord, you're right, Allen… That was probably _glowing praise_ coming from a jerk like him…"

Allen considered her thoughtfully. "If you like him so much, why do you call him a jerk?"

Rifka looked up from the guitar, her fingertips teasing the strings. "I call him what he is… I'd call him Lover too, if that's what he was…" Her lips curved mischievously when she saw she'd made him blush. "Mostly though, I do it because I think he likes it. He probably wouldn't give me the time of day if I didn't fight with him every now and again."

"So… then… you're _not_ lovers?"

Rifka's dark eyes brightened with playful glitter and she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Why, Mister Walker, how delightfully impudent of you… asking a woman about her love life so casually…" She gazed at him intently. "Gonna to tell me why you want to know…?"

Allen glanced around, seeing they now had their table all to themselves. He lowered his voice anyway. "But… in the gym… It _looked_ like…"

"Oh, that?" Rifka smiled slightly, looking easily into his eyes, watching his face. Her dark gaze seemed unnervingly penetrating to him, yet inviting all the same. "Lavi spiked my lunch with catnip. He probably thought I'd just stagger around drunk, talking funny and tripping over things."

She shook her head, stopping him from exclaiming, her lips twisting to the side in an amused half-smile. "It's all right, I'm not mad. Apparently, that stuff makes me incredibly frisky instead of drunk…" She smiled again, slowly. "Kanda is the only one I trust not to take advantage of me in such a state. He's handled me in my wild states before. Some more, ah, _violent_… than others…"

They were both blushing now and awkwardly looking away from each other, both wanting to avoid the subject of Kiev. "Um… You know… I should probably go tune my guitar," she mumbled, "in my room. Upstairs."

"Right, of course… I should probably… go do something else, too."

They both got up and left the cafeteria. In the hall, they turned to face each other, speaking loudly in their attempt to avoid the subject. "Hey, Allen! I think we should take Melody to the gym again tomorrow! She's getting better at parkour, I'm surprised!"

Allen nodded, agreeing. "That's a great idea! Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then!"

They turned away from each other, and all but ran in opposite directions. It wasn't until Allen had reached his room that he realized Rifka had managed to _not_ answer his question!


	16. Coincidence?

The next morning, Komui had missions. Finder reports were coming in of heavy Akuma activity in an unpopulated sector of the Amazon. Rifka was not quite quick enough to hide a flash of alarm in her eyes, but even after she mastered her expression she still looked uncomfortable. Eventually though, she mastered that too.

After the assignments were given out, the Exorcists left the office. Komui turned toward the door and cleared his throat, stopping Rifka from following the others. She turned back to him. "Yes?"

"Do you have any comments about the location?"

Her brow furrowed slightly. "Only that I think it's weird they keep showing up in the places I've visited recently. The Akuma that lead to me becoming an Exorcist has been destroyed, so there shouldn't be anyone else looking for me. At the same time though, Sir, the area the Akuma are showing up in is nowhere near any of the spots where I was found. So, really, I think it's all just a coincidence."

He believed her, but he had to be sure. "Rifka, you trust me, right? If you weren't comfortable going to Brazil, you'd tell me, right?"

Rifka's stance shifted. Not defiant, not even aggressive. The set of her jaw was firm, and there was a glint in her brown eyes – the one he'd seen that had made him fond of her to begin with, all those years ago.

"I see. You're determined. Good!"

Rifka grinned at him and relaxed, tossing him sass after showing him her grr face. "You know, Sir, if you told me you located the Earl in Hell, I would still go. Just to make sure he was finally finished."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "Let's both hope _that_ won't be necessary!"

"Besides, Sir…" Just as abruptly, her tone turned thoughtful. Even though he had known her since she arrived at the order 10 years ago, he was still amazed by the way her mood could shift on a whim. "This job shouldn't be comfortable. It _should_ be hard. It should be _terribly_ hard, Sir. Otherwise all of our victories are meaningless."

She nodded softly, satisfied with her answer, and swept out of the office, having said her peace. Komui leaned back against the edge of his desk, struck by her words. He thought he knew all of her quirks by now, but he had never suspected she _thought_ so much about the Order.

And now _he_ was thinking about it! He sipped his coffee, amused. And then he suddenly lifted his head, having realized Rifka had managed _not_ to answer his question! "How does she do that…?"

* * *

"I think… I think they've gone." Allen paused. "Yes. I'm sure of it. I'm not picking up any more of them nearby."

"Thank God!" Lavi put his hands on his knees, leaning over and gasping for breath.

They had been fighting for what felt like hours, seemingly without any end to the flood of Akuma rushing over their current position.

"I'm not used to the Earl sending the Akuma in big groups like this…" Rifka admitted as she leaned back against a tree, panting to catch her breath. "But he seems to be doing it more and more often…"

They had experienced two large waves and fought through them, but they hadn't recovered in time for the third. They'd had just enough time to hide in the brush, and to their immense surprise, the Akuma had flew right by their hiding spot, not even pausing to search.

Allen put his hand out to brace himself against a tree so he could catch his breath, too. "They must have been ordered to go directly to a specific location." He murmured. He had seen Akuma act that way before.

Crouched at the edge of their hiding spot, Kanda was breathing hard too. He still had his sword out and his dark eyes were scanning the area sharply. Lenalee was the only other one still standing, but she looked just as breathless as the rest.

"It feels like he's getting impatient again…" Lenalee looked troubled, "trying to overwhelm us and keep us distracted."

"Yeah, no kidding…" was Kanda's growled response, "it's really getting on my nerves!"

Rifka looked over at them with keen interest. "You think he's found something? Something he's trying to get, without us in his way?"

Kanda narrowed his eyes and Lenalee touched a hand to her lips thoughtfully. She still looked troubled. "It's what I would do – I mean, it's a solid tactic, isn't it?"

Lavi nodded softly. "It works a lot more often than not…"

Allen's eye activated again and he looked up sharply. "More Akuma are gathering in that same direction – and there are tons of them! Where did they all come from?"

"That part doesn't really matter," Pushing off the tree behind her, Rifka bounced on the balls of her feet and shook out her hands, rolling her neck like a boxer stepping into the ring, "c'mon, let's bring the party to them this time!" She flashed them a grin and took off running, the others hot on her heels.

They found the Akuma surrounding the shell of an ancient hangar bay. There were no other signs in the area that humans had lived there, and the surrounding forest had reclaimed the warehouse-type building long ago. The glass in the windows was broken making them appear like gaping maws of jagged teeth. The doors hung off their rusted hinges, and the walls were thick with ivy.

The outer ranks of Akuma were a mixture of level ones and twos, but as they neared they could see level threes and fours on the inner ranks. Rifka pulled up short and dodged backward behind a tree, staring in apprehension. She had never seen so many in one place before. She thought about all the trouble she'd had just fighting one level three and struggled with her nerves. Granted, she was stronger now and shouldn't have to worry about Darkpaw taking over her mind anymore, but, _still,_ she'd never been tested against such numbers before…

"Oh look at all the beautiful Akuma the Earl sent me!" A figure appeared on the roof of the hangar, floating atop a large, closed umbrella. The voice was female, youthful, and she twirled around with the umbrella in delight. To Rifka's astonishment, the umbrella seemed to protest this careless treatment.

"Lerolerolero…! Please stop, Rhode-lero!" She heard it crying. She looked to the others, seeing on their faces a lot… less… shock. She blinked.

"Who is that?" She whispered urgently.

"Rhode Kamelot," Allen told her, keeping his voice down. He tried to keep his eyes on the enemy, but the sight of the mass of tortured souls was making him turn away. He didn't want to lose his stomach in front of everyone. "They say she's actually one of the oldest Noah. She's extremely powerful; able to create very dangerous illusions."

"She also has the ability to warp dimensions," Lenalee reminded them, "she can summon a door in the air that can take her anywhere she wants."

Rifka looked baffled, turning her gaze slowly back to the gathering. "Mother of hell… How do you fight that?"

Lavi shook his head, his face serious as he watched the Noah. "You have to find the key to breaking the illusion… There's always a hidden key…" His tone of voice indicated he spoke from experience, but only Allen and Lenalee had seen his fight with the Noah, and even then they hadn't really seen what happened. "Looks like we may need backup on this one, huh?" He drew his golem out, reporting the sight to headquarters.

* * *

The four Generals arrived along with Bookman and their friends Noise Mari, Damon, Krory, Miranda and Melody. Since this had all the ingredients for being a very dangerous battle, all hands were going to be needed. And as the Generals often pointed out, if they couldn't handle it now, they never would. One way or another, an Exorcist will always respond under pressure.

And if anyone wondered Kanda was casually putting several trees between himself and the group upon the arrival of the Generals, it all became apparent when Tiedoll voiced his disappointment at not being able to hug him hello.

After assessing the enemy numbers for themselves, the Generals paired up with teams of Exorcists to take on the Akuma. Most of the group was going, but Lavi, Kanda, Lenalee and Rifka were instructed to sneak into the hangar to see if they could find what the Noah was looking for.

It didn't take much to create a massive distraction. A few of their comrades exploding was more than enough to make the Akuma turn to find the Exorcist teams taking up positions to attack, allowing the infiltration team to head inside unnoticed.

Inside, the hangar was dark, smelling of moss and stagnant water. Rifka abruptly went still and put her arms out with one foot raised. She clenched her fists as a snake slithered over her other boot, her dark eyes watching it intensely. It did not turn to strike, and she slowly relaxed again as it slipped out of sight.

"Watch your feet…" She whispered to the others. They nodded in agreement.

"Don't like snakes much, Riffie?" Lavi asked playfully. He kept his voice down.

Rifka frowned thoughtfully. "They do not really scare me… but I do very much respect their ability to kill me with just one bite."

Lavi grinned, considering her. "Good answer…"

"Shh," Kanda scolded them, "there's a door here. Let's see what's behind it."

Working together, they carefully pried the door away from the moss and vine covered wall. They stepped into the room and looked around, but it was too dark to see. Just then, a shadow loomed out of the darkness, and a cold wind swept over their faces. The last thing they saw before everything went black was a figure standing in the doorway, looking over them…


	17. Heaven and Hell

"I know you are the only one, a little taste of heaven  
And you know I am the only one, your bitter taste of hell  
Your eyes scream the end is creeping in – I'll need  
Thirty-seven stitches, to keep the pain in  
I know you are the only one, on the darkest side of the sun."  
(37 Stitches, Drowning Pool)

* * *

The stage was ablaze with colored lasers and strobe lights as the hot new band The Exorcists performed their third encore for the screaming fans. The band's front man was a perfect match for the heavy guitar and drums, tall and slender, revealing a cut and powerful frame when he shed his long jacket.

He clutched the microphone stand close as he slanted his dark eyes sharply at his audience, driving them all nuts as he growled the song into the mic with his deceptively quiet voice, which made it all the more stunning when he shouted. His long, straight black hair swung around his waist when he tossed his head, his long legs hugged by black leather pants and metal-reinforced boots.

Under his coat he wore a loose white dress shirt with most of the buttons undone, which revealed a black, intricate tattoo of an obscure symbol with a spiked crescent around it. It covered the upper left side of his chest and stretched over his shoulder and down to his bicep. His nails were painted black and there was armor on a few of his fingers, leather bracers on his wrists and around his neck there hung a cross on a long, silver chain.

As the song ended he shoved the mic away, letting it crash onto the floor as he stalked off the stage in a moody temper. The fans loved it, and he smirked to himself as he heard them screaming for more.

Inside his dressing room, he got himself a pair of beers from the mini-fridge and crossed to his favorite armchair. Dropping into it with a sigh, he opened one of the bottles and slouched down to enjoy it, draping one of his legs over the chair's arm.

There was a knock at the door and he glanced over at it, waiting lazily. It opened and his manager walked in, dressed like she just came from a board room instead of a concert. Pinstripe pencil skirt and matching jacket, with a white blouse and black heels, she had her dark hair tied up in a bun and naughty-librarian glasses perched on her nose.

He stared at her around the bottle, his eyes following the sleek curve of her thighs and hips upward to her breasts. From there he lingered over the beauty mark on the left side of her neck. The fullness of her bottom lip teased him, even as she pressed it into a thin line of disapproval. He stared at her, hungrily, reflecting as he often did, that she really would be a knock-out if she would just loosen up.

"And lo, she appears," he drawled at her, grinning, "a little taste of heaven! Come have a beer with me Kitten, while you tell me how much money we just made."

She flushed and clutched her clipboard to her chest, pushing her glasses up. "Mr. Kanda, please… If you can't call me by my surname, at least call me _Rifka_… This is a business relationship only; you shouldn't be so _casual_…"

He grinned again, slowly, and closed his eyes as he listened to her voice and the quiet purr of her accent as she lectured him. It was the only reason he continued to tease her. Opening his eyes again, he slanted them seductively at her. "Rifka is a very sexy name, but I like calling you _Kitten…_ I think it fits you better." His gaze sharpened with impatience, "Now get over here and tell me what you came to tell me."

She drew her shoulders back at his tone, but didn't argue. She crossed the room toward the chair next to his, but when she went to sit down, he reached out and casually tugged her onto his lap. With a gasp, she dropped her clipboard to catch herself against his chest, her glasses slipping down. His eyes glittered devilishly as he reached up to gently pluck them off.

"Mr. Kanda!" She protested, reaching for her glasses. He placed them on the table out of her reach. "Please, behave yourself!"

"Aw, c'mon Kitten…" He brushed his hands over her hips, staring into her eyes. "Take a minute off for once… relax…" he drew her against him and nuzzled his face into her neck, teasing her skin with his lips.

"I… really shouldn't…" in spite of her words she didn't resist him, shivering. Then she shook her head and pulled away. "No, no I can't…"

"Don't be that way…" He reached up and tugged the chopsticks out of her bun, causing her thick hair to flow down around her shoulders. She pushed at his chest and he caught her wrists, keeping her from fleeing. Pulling her against him, he tenderly tucked her hair behind her shoulder and smiled as he brushed his lips along her neck before gently biting down.

"Aah! Yuu…!" She suddenly stopped fighting him and gasped breathlessly, rolling her eyes back. His heart skipped a beat when she called his name. He felt her hands in his hair, her body getting warm in his arms.

"See…" he whispered to her breathlessly, "isn't this nice…?" He continued to nibble on her neck and listened to her breathing as it grew heavier. Casually, he unbuttoned her jacket and smiled excitedly when she pulled her arms out of it herself, then blinked at her when she turned her head and caught his mouth in a heated kiss.

He closed his eyes as he kissed her eagerly, drawing his fingers down the buttons of her blouse, and he felt her hands slide down his chest. He gasped as well when she suddenly dragged her nails up over his ribs. He pulled his head back to catch his breath, staring up at the ceiling when he felt her mouth on his shoulder and neck.

He gasped sharply again in surprise when she bit down. He rolled his eyes back with a moan, tangling his fingers in her hair. "_Rifka_…"

Her voice was low and slightly muffled against his skin. "Oh? _Now_ you'll call me by my name…?"

His eyes flew open and he laughed, grinning broadly. "What's this, _sass?!_ Where have you been hiding _that_ all this time?"

"You don't usually push me, Yuu…"

"I'm gonna have to push you more often then, Kitten…"

The glint in her eyes excited him and he pulled her against him when she moved to straddle him, biting his lip when he felt her hand moving down over his stomach. Then he frowned suddenly and caught her wrist.

"Wait. Why does it feel wrong when you call me that name?"

She blinked at him, her expression becoming puzzled. "I don't know… Why _doesn't_ it feel wrong when you call me _Kitten_?"

Their world suddenly tilted and they cried out, tumbling onto the dirt floor of a small, dark room.

* * *

"What the hell–?" Kanda felt dizzy and nauseous. He heard someone else coughing and retching nearby, followed by a low groan of pain. "Rifka, is that you?" The nausea caught up to him and he bent sharply, emptying his stomach.

"Were we poisoned?" Her voice sounded weak, as though she were ill, "Where are we, Kanda? What's going on?"

"I don't know… Damn, what is that light? It's going to make me puke again…"

Rifka groaned, like a wounded animal, and he heard her pulling herself to her feet. She staggered, falling heavily against the wall with a muffled curse, then her shadow fell over the shaft of bright light and he heard her hiss sharply. Chancing a look up, Kanda could see she was standing in front of a door, and the light was pouring in through the bars of a small window, and also through holes in the ceiling. She was shielding her eyes against it.

"Is this… a prison? Did they lock…?" She dropped her hand and turned the knob. The door abruptly fell to the floor with a crash, loud enough to startle her into falling back several steps. In the flood of light, they could see the knob was heavily rusted, and the door had only one hinge.

Kanda hauled himself up to his feet and stumbled over to her, reaching out to brace himself against the doorway with a grunt. "Dammit, I feel really hungover right now…"

"I hate the smell of alcohol…" Rifka murmured absently, "all the more reason to never touch it…" She edged out of the cell to look around. Bright and empty with a high ceiling, it seemed more of a warehouse, or perhaps a hangar of some kind. "Where are we? Are the others here, too? Were we all captured?" She looked up at him, frowning and starting to worry. "Kanda, I… I don't remember why we came here…"

Her eyes still squinted, she saw another door next to their cell and opened it, finding Lavi and Lenalee passed out on the floor, just as they had been. Rifka checked their vital signs and listened to their breathing, satisfying herself that at least they were alive. She tried shaking each of them, but it didn't seem to be enough to wake them. "I don't know what to do… How are we supposed to wake them up?"

"_Tch_, I don't even know how we woke ourselves," he told her, "I don't even know what that _was_…A hallucination?"

Rifka looked up at him. "But… _shared_ like that?" She began to blush, inhaling quickly, "Like _that?"_

He closed his eyes and looked away, clenching his jaw in an attempt to put a cap on his emotions. He felt violated, and deeply embarrassed, but he also couldn't help feeling… No, that just made him even more embarrassed. "It must have been based on our… relationship…"

"But it was backwards!" Rifka exclaimed. She stared up at him heatedly. "I was in a SUIT!"

As he remembered, he couldn't help it. He began to laugh. "You were _shy_ too," he opened her eyes to grin at her, "It was _adorable_…"

"I… Shut up!" She blushed brightly and looked away, nervously tucking her hair back, which made him laugh again.

"There you go again!"

She glared up at him, dropping her hands furiously. "Was it supposed to tame me, then? Is that what they wanted? Was it just a dirty trick to take the fight out of my blood?" Her look of rage abruptly shifted into confusion. "But, if that's so… What the hell were they trying to do to _you?_ Leather pants and nail polish… How was that supposed to make you want to stop fighting…?" She glanced at him playfully. "I'm surprised they didn't put eyeliner on you, too…"

It was his turn to blush furiously. "I guess they just know I'm not gay."

"Lucky for me…" She purred at him with a wicked grin and he looked at her quickly. Hunger jumped in his gut and he clenched his fist to stifle the desire to grab her.

"_Behave,_ dammit! We have to find a way out of here!"

She clapped a hand to her forehead, leaning back against the wall. "Oh thank god! I thought it was going to be permanent! Though, Kanda… You still seem kind of… You're not still feeling the urge to take your coat off and sing, are you?"

He blinked at her, trying to decide if he wanted to ignore her or hurt her. He decided to mess with her head instead. "I _did_ like that song… I wonder where it came from."

Rifka gawked at him, starting to blush a little as though lost in a daydream. She was never going to forget the quality of his singing voice… "Our captor… must be a fan…" She couldn't help but wonder how best to trick him into singing again.

"I like that music a lot, but the real question is… What are you two doing awake?! My dream was PERFECT and you've ruined it!"

They spun to find themselves face to face with none other than Rhode Kamelot, glaring at them in mild annoyance. "Tell me how you got out!"

"We don't know!" They shouted at her in unison.

Rhode blinked at them. "You don't? You didn't solve my puzzle?"

"What puzzle?" Rifka looked perplexed. "We suddenly realized we were calling each other the wrong names…" Her voice was almost apologetic.

Rhode stared at her for a moment, but then grinned. "Really, that's all? You're both so attached to your _own_ illusions that you rejected _mine?_"

Kanda and Rifka gazed at her, deadpan. "…What?"

Rhode began to laugh hysterically, which the exorcists found even more disturbing. Rifka grew impatient first. "Release the others, Noah! What are you trying to accomplish with this insane trickery?!"

"Insane?" Rhode stopped laughing and smiled lazily. "I gave you a beautiful dream and you threw it away… Perhaps you would prefer… a nightmare?" She flicked her fingers absently.

Rifka's angry expression changed to one of shock. Her body went rigid, and Kanda cursed as he turned toward her just in time to catch her when she collapsed. Her brown eyes stared upward blankly.

"What did you do, Noah?!"

"I granted her wish, obviously. She prefers fighting so much…"

"Rifka," Kanda stared down at her, furious that he couldn't help her, "come on! Wake up! Don't fall for it again…" Gritting his teeth, Kanda drew Mugen on Rhode, his eyes glinting. "And I suppose you think I'm just going to _stand_ here?"

Rhode laughed. "No, silly, there's still plenty of toys for you to play with!" She waved a hand, and a flood of Akuma streamed into the warehouse. Once Kanda was occupied, she turned her attention back to the comatose exorcist, leaning in close. "Now… what secrets do you have to share with me…?"


	18. The Tale of Darkpaw and Child

It was a sunny day in the jungle, not that you could really tell through the thick canopy. The mottled light played tricks on the eyes, all the more reason for the hunting party to be wary as they made their way through the trees looking for game. There were five men, brothers and friends, and they were the strongest and fastest of their village. Their confidence showed in the way they moved in easy silence, perfectly coordinated with each other.

She followed them, up above in the trees, watching from within the safety of the shadows with eyes that shone in the dark like a cat's. She was curious, and a little impressed by their apparent prowess.

The hunters murmured quietly to each other, urgently, and their leader paused and crouched to investigate the tracks they had found. The track wasn't cloven, like game, or even padded, like a predator; it was small, with five toes and distinct ball and heel impressions.

It was the footprint of a human child.

The men gathered around excitedly, and then they drew their weapons and began searching the bushes and trees nearby. They had been alerted to her presence, and it was no longer safe for her there. She spun on her toes and leaped to the next branch, beginning a hasty retreat. The movement in the trees drew the hunters' attention and they turned, just barely spotting the retreating shadow. They chased after her, pausing only to fire arrows into her path.

She was fast, agile and smart, too, possibly more than she had any right to be. She dodged, putting the trees between herself and the hunters, but they were the best hunters from their village, and they were determined. A well timed arrow zipped by her head, just barely missing her ear.

Startled, she veered off course, and the next arrow sank deep into the back of her shoulder. Pain flooded into her senses. With a cry, she dropped from the tree and into the brush below. Gritting her teeth, she reached behind her to break off the arrowhead and then pulled the shaft free, a sharp scream escaping her lungs. She looked at her hands, seeing the strange scars across her knuckles begin to glow. Her skin began to darken.

"Wait, Darkpaw! Please, just wait!" She looked up when she heard their victorious cries and their feet running toward her. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as fear and panic pumped into her veins, flushing her system with adrenaline. She lunged from the brambles, catching the first warrior by surprise. She grabbed his harness and shoved him backward into his brothers, showing them she was stronger than she looked. "Can't you see I don't want to fight you?!"

As always, the villagers paused to gawk at her when she spoke. They never understood a single word she said. Frustrated, she flailed her arms out to the sides, only to hiss and clutch at the wound in her shoulder. Fresh anger surged through her, anger that wasn't hers. She saw it tinting her vision, making all the colors brighter and the contrasts harsher. Images flashed through her mind, lightning-fast. Her jaws around the first man's throat, the taste of his blood, hot and invigorating.

She shook her head quickly to cast away the violent thoughts, but now the anger was giving way to excitement and even more adrenaline, making her lightheaded. She felt her teeth getting sharper, and her hands and feet became heavier with long claws. She could see the looks of horror on the men's faces. "Let me go! I can't hold it back anymore! If you attack me again, I won't be able to stop it!" She pointed to herself with her good hand, then to the forest. "LET. ME. GO!"

They hesitated. She edged backward toward the forest, hunching her back, crouching down, making herself a smaller, harder to hit target, but she felt herself starting to gather energy into the powerful muscles in her legs, too. If they attacked again, she would be able to dodge, and maybe she could take advantage and run.

Maybe _this_ time she wouldn't have to hurt anyone.

She stopped waiting for them to decide. Turning, she sprang into the thick bushes and started to run with a quick burst of speed.

_Why are you running, Child? They smelled of fear! They were weak! We could have taken them down! Then there would be no one chasing us!_

With a squawk of surprise she careened into a tree and rebounded, staggering. It had been a while since she'd heard the voice. It was so often silent, speaking to her only in flashes of emotion and brightly colored imagery that it was easy to forget it could speak to her, too. She knew it was the voice of the beast inside her, the one that had saved her that night; the night she had truly feared for her life for the first time.

She accepted that she could hear the creature's voice, in her mind. She accepted that she could feel its emotions, separate from her own. She accepted that she'd gone mad.

"Don't startle me like that! Besides, I don't _want_ to take them down! I want to be left alone!"

_You want them to leave you alone? _The beast mocked her. _Then why do you follow them? Why do you watch them so mournfully? You don't need them, Child – you have me! I'm all that you need now._

Her response was a deep, painful well of loneliness that bubbled up inside her heart. For a moment, she could sense the creature's sympathy, a brief, fleeting admission that they were both actually quite lonely.

Twigs snapped behind her and she snapped a sharp glare over her shoulder. The hunters had decided not to let her go. She bared her teeth in anger – her own this time. She had tried her best, but she could no longer save them. Tiredly, she gave in. They had decided to die, despite her attempts to save them. She felt Darkpaw sweep forward and she closed her eyes as she sank down, slipping away into the darkness.

As the hunters came running into the small clearing, they saw the girl crouched on the ground facing them, but when she opened her eyes they realized they had been greeted by the beast instead. The girl was watching from inside now, no longer able to prevent what happened next, and her lack of remorse made the creature purr in approval.

Just as the beast had planned, she took the leader first, riding his body down to the ground. He tried to scream but it came out as a choked gurgle when she clamped her jaws onto his throat and sank her teeth in. The beast shivered when she tasted his blood, and she grinned slowly when she heard the child gasping in her mind, affected, even tortured, by the pleasure. The beast turned her attention back to the real world when she felt a sharp prick of pain as the second hunter dropped his bow in favor of a sword.

Dropping the leader onto the leaf-strewn ground, she stood abruptly, reaching out to grab the sword hilt and trapping the man that clutched it. She carelessly turned his wrist, making it snap. He opened his mouth to scream, and right then she reached out and drove her heavy claws deep into his belly. Ripping free and letting him fall, she spun to face the third.

By now, the fear was vivid in the man's eyes. Two brothers dying on the ground at his feet, she wondered if he could feel his end nearing. He dropped his weapons and turned to run, but she leapt onto his back, her claws raking down his shoulder blades, tearing him open. He dropped beneath her and she held the back of his neck in her jaws until she felt his last breath escape his lungs.

Now there were only two left. Like their third brother, they hadn't tried to stay and fight. She looked up and licked her lips as she watched them run – this was the part she lived for. They wanted to hunt her? That was just fine… The only question she had was: Did they have the moxie to survive being the hunted? The _true_ test of a warrior lay in how they handled having the tables turned…

She chased after them, reveling in the feeling of the wind in her hair and over her arms and legs, tickling her flesh. Pleasure rushed through her veins, fast and free, and then she caught the scent of human fear. She dug in her claws and turned on her toes like a homing missile. Too easily she caught up to him, and he died screaming on her teeth and claws. Tearing herself violently away from his body she turned, growling hungrily, and waited.

There it was: a panicked whimper. She launched forward and gave chase again, and as she closed in on the last hunter, the whimpering switched to desperate cries for help. She ducked low and swiped at his legs, hamstringing him. When he fell to the ground she crouched down and crawled over him, smiling at him almost tenderly.

"This is what it feels like to be all alone," she purred to him, reaching out to caress the backs of her claws down his cheek. His eyes widened as he heard his own language from her lips, as though growled to him by a demon. "Have you ever felt this way before? Because… I have…" She considered him, the fear and desperation bright in his eyes. "Should I let you go, I wonder? She wants me to let you go, you know. So you can tell the others that to seek me is to seek death itself. Should I let you go?"

She was pleased to see him struggling to answer and watched his face calmly, as though she wasn't covered in blood – As though she hadn't just killed four men as easily as rabbits. He wanted nothing more than to go home, wanted nothing more than to pretend this day had never happened.

"Please," he whispered.

She brightened, looking into his eyes. "Yes?"

"Let… let me go… Please let me go…"

"What, let you go, as you so graciously let _me_?" He shuddered in anticipation, but she slowly withdrew, smiling. "Go home then, Warrior… and tell your family The Darkpaw sent you back… As her last warning…" She turned away, walking back into the brush.

She paused at the edge, her head lowered, and a grin curved over her mouth when she heard him getting up. Still she waited, not turning around, and was rewarded by the sound of him drawing his skinning knife from his boot, his last weapon. He steeled himself, gasping for breath, and then he attacked.

At the last minute she turned, catching his wrist and stopping his momentum as though she had been made of stone. His strength fled and he sagged to his knees. Lifting his head, he bared his teeth and glared up at her.

"Do you see now, Child?" The beast growled, speaking not to the man at her mercy, but to the girl within, "do you see what your mercy brings? Do you see now what happens when you run?" She swiped her claws down across the man's throat, and released him to coldly watch him bleed to death. The jungle around them grew eerily quiet when the light finally faded from his eyes, and the beast, Darkpaw, turned away again.

_Why? Why didn't he just go home, like he said he wanted? Why did he attack, when he knew he didn't have a chance?_

"He was a warrior, you fool. Warrior's don't run from the enemy!"

_I'm not a warrior! I'm –"_

"My responsibility now, apparently…" Darkpaw brushed her hair back from her face and closed her eyes with a sigh of suffering. "You'll never survive here if you can't even kill to _protect_ yourself. And I can't survive if you don't – so I will teach you." She began to stalk into the dense bush.

_Where are we going?_

"We're going hunting, Child. I'm hungry." Darkpaw's grin was dark and wicked. "You had best pay attention."

The child's misgivings fell away to resolve, and Darkpaw chuckled with satisfaction.


	19. Rifka vs Rhode

"Ooh, she's so _determined!"_ Rhode was watching Rifka's still form with interest, while Kanda panted heavily, kneeling beside his friend. His sword was out, guarding her body from the Noah. He might have been out of energy, but Rhode was out of Akuma to throw at him, so they ended up at a stalemate.

He had to wonder though, why wasn't the Noah attacking them herself? Surely she could have killed them both by now, but instead she seemed completely taken with whatever was happening inside Rifka's mind.

"Why are you so surprised?" He asked her, unable to stop himself. "She won't give up, no matter what you do!"

Rhode grinned at him. "Well, considering she's _your_ lover, I'd expect nothing less." Kanda flushed at this, gritting his teeth and looking away as Rhode snickered. "Seems like maybe you liked my Dream a whole lot more than she did… Freedom from Innocence, from the Order, freedom to have adorable little babies in a cozy little house by a lake…"

"And I'm sure all we'd have to do is let you destroy our Innocence – don't make me laugh!"

Rhode ignored him. "You know, for a moment there, I was so sure I had her! I found so much _anger_ – did you know how much she's got hidden? And her heart is like a fresh wound, all sore and bleeding everywhere!" At Kanda's stricken expression, she bounced up, beaming. "Wait, you _didn't_ know? She never told you she's a murderer?"

Rhode began to laugh, swirling around on her umbrella golem. "Oh yes, she's quite the accomplished killer! Did you know she got started at the age of seven? I don't think even _I_ can say that!"

_Don't let her get to you!_ "What do you _want,_ Noah?! Why are you doing this?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Rhode gave him yet another infuriating grin, continuing to float up and down in the air as though she hadn't a care in the world. Kanda could hear the fighting was still going on outside, but he knew he couldn't leave Rifka there alone.

"Rifka, come on dammit! Snap out of it!"

* * *

She felt like she was under water, struggling toward the surface. Just as strength from her memories began to trickle through the guilt and pain, the memories shifted to something else.

* * *

A whip cracked. The pain was like liquid fire down her back and she let out a short, bellowing scream. Now known as Rifka (instead of Child as Darkpaw had called her), she fell to the floor with a grunt and whipped a glare over her shoulder, showing her sharp teeth in a snarl. Blood ran from the fresh laceration down her left shoulder blade, joining the other two across the middle of her back. The smell of it was already starting to make her dizzy…And hungry.

"You will do as you are told!" The man with the whip shouted at her. He wore the uniform of the Central facility. His face was cruel but his sweat stank of fear, which triggered a fresh rush of hatred. She was taking this from a coward?! "Pledge your allegiance to God! Accept your duty as an Exorcist!"

She curled her lip, fuming, and lurched to her feet. She knew she mustn't, but she wanted to attack him! "If pledging allegiance to God makes me anything like you_, I'd rather go to Hell!"_

She turned just in time to take another laceration down the left side of her back. The pain sent her to the floor again, gasping and cursing furiously.

* * *

Rifka's body twitched and pain suddenly showed on her features. Her hands tightened into fists and blood welled up around her fingernails as the sharp edges cut into her palms. Rhode sat up, her attention becoming riveted again.

"Oooh, you know…" She glanced at Kanda with a smirk. "You said she'd never give up, right? I bet she'd fight to the death if I let her… That should punish you enough for killing my brother, don't you think?" She looked back to Rifka, grinning slowly.

Kanda glanced at her, masking his fear behind a flash of anger. Gripping his sword, he made to attack her, only to find an invisible wall existing between them. He stabbed and slashed at it, and even threw his shoulder against it, all to no avail. Rhode watched him from the other side as though he were a strange, fascinating creature on display.

* * *

Her vision was red. There was blood in her eyes. She could feel it on her skin and taste it in her mouth. For a moment, she was lost. Where was she? Who was she? But then she sensed another enemy rise up behind her and the moment passed as unimportant. She turned, grinning, and eager claws reached out and sliced through the Akuma's round frame, slicing it to pieces.

She thought this memory was familiar. She turned, and sure enough more enemies were gathering around her, just as she expected. Blood and smoke and death surrounded her and she grinned viciously, reveling in it as she tore them to pieces.

The memory changed. They kept coming. She turned. This was where Kanda and Allen had arrived, wasn't it? She had liked that part. First, there had been Kanda's voice; dominant as he ordered her to stand down. Then Allen's voice; which had sounded sweet as he begged her to listen… But they weren't there now. She looked, taking heavy damage as she was distracted by her own confusion. She didn't see them. All she saw was more and more Akuma…

"This isn't how it happened…! This must be a dream! But… why can't I wake up?!"

_Watch out, dammit!_

At Darkpaw's alarm, more Akuma rose and swarmed forward. Baring her teeth, she continued to fight.

* * *

Rhode's started to laugh, clapping her hands excitedly. "Yes! Fight! FIGHT, Exorcist!"

Kanda looked down to see Rifka's body thrashing violently before she let out a strangled cry and arched her back, baring her teeth in pain. The world seemed to jerk into slow motion as he watched her eyes fly open, her expression shocked. Her muscles seem to all lock up at once, and then she let out a choked gasp and her eyes slipped closed, her body collapsing onto the floor. Her fists bounced slightly as her arms dropped, and then her hands fell open, blood running from her palms.

"No!" His heart was seizing in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Putting Mugen down, he dropped beside her and gathered her in his arms. "Dammit! No!"

"Aw, I think she's gone – I don't sense her mind anymore." Rhode smiled as she watched him checking Rifka for a pulse, for breath, even pushing up an eyelid to see if her pupil reacted to the light. "Are you in pain? Are you going to cry for her?"

Kanda bent his head, gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to feel… anything. He forced himself to put Rifka down and slowly got to his feet. He picked up Mugen again and Rhode considered him thoughtfully. "What are you planning, Exorcist? Now that your lover is a vegetable… will you give up your Innocence?"

His gloves creaked from the tightness of his grip on Mugen's hilt. He showed his teeth as he braced his stance. "You will have to _kill_ me to get it, Noah! Mine and hers both! And I hope you know how strong you're going to have to be to do it!"

"You think I'll let you get away? I'll avenge my brother against you, Exorcist! Noah will never forgive!" Furious, Rhode looked away. "Now, where is… oh?"

Kanda paused at Rhode's startled question, and he followed her gaze. While they hadn't been watching, Rifka's skin had turned black.

"Akuma virus…?" Rhode pondered.

Shock shifted to smug approval before a fierce, victorious grin formed across Kanda's mouth, and his dark eyes became piercing. "No. That's Darkpaw."

Rhode stared up at him, bewildered. "Who…?"

"Rhode Kamelot… meet Rifka's Innocence… known to be among the Black Order's most _violent_ weapons."

There was a pulse. Rifka twitched. Before their eyes a giant black jaguar replaced her form on the floor and rose to her feet, shaking herself off. Glowing green eyes went first to Kanda, and then settled slowly onto Rhode with glittering, murderous intent.

Rhode's eyes went wide in disbelief. "That's… that's a really big kitty…"

Darkpaw's answer was a roar that shook the fragile walls of the old hangar. She launched at the Noah, pivoting sharply when Rhode dodged, and swiped at her with one of her massive, heavy paws. She just barely clipped her on the hip, but it was enough to send her sprawling.

There was no hesitation. No pause to reassess or to gloat, as a human might have. Pure animal instinct was in full control, and Darkpaw pounced and pinned the Noah to the floor by the shoulders. Her lips curled back as she growled, showing off all of her long, sharp teeth.

Rhode's expression was one of blatant shock. She stared up at the creature, looking into its eyes. Just as quickly though, she jerked her gaze away with a sharp yelp. Having Darkpaw standing over you would have been intimidating enough, but now Rhode could also sense the beast's ever-burning rage and insatiable lust for blood.

With one last growl that seemed to say '_That's right!'_ Darkpaw clamped her jaws onto Rhode's throat and snapped them shut. Instead of tasting blood, however, all she got was a mouthful of air as the Noah's body burst into thousands of tiny, sparkling motes. The creature let out a furious snarl, and then her form switched back to Rifka's.

"Rifka!" Kanda moved to help her up, but he could immediately tell something was wrong. She was kneeling, bent over at the waist with her forehead on the floor and her fists clenched tightly. When he touched her shoulder she looked up sharply, and there was such a livid ferociousness in her eyes that he jerked away in shock. Neither brown nor green, her eyes were a charcoal black that burned with unexpected hatred.

"Rifka?"

"No, no, no! Get away from me!" Too late to warn him, the smell of the blood on his clothes struck her nose and she gasped, arching her back. She rolled away, thrusting her hands over her eyes. "Back off! I _know_ how much it fucking hurts! I can handle it, dammit!" He had never heard that kind of growl in her voice before, but with a sudden realization, Kanda understood she was speaking to Darkpaw, not to him.

Gritting her teeth, Rifka pushed her hands through her hair, growling furiously. She rolled over drew her hands and knees up under herself, panting heavily. She arched her back again, a scream of pain escaping her lips, her form flickering violently between Darkpaw and herself until even while human her skin was black and her fangs were extended.

"What's wrong, Exorcist?" Rhode's voice taunted her from nowhere, "can't control your Innocence?"

With a snarl of rage, Rifka's form finally snapped all the way back to human and stayed, but all of the rapid shifting had left her breathless and off-balance. "What's wrong, Noah?! You wanted me unhinged; now where'd you go? I was really looking forward to finding out what your blood tasted like! Come out and play with me!"

"That's okay," chimed Rhode's disembodied voice, "I think I'll leave you to your Lover to deal with instead. Have fun, Mr. Kitchen Knife! Try not to get eaten by the big, scary kitty cat!"

With a tinkling sound, the last of the motes vanished, and Rhode escaped to fight another day. As if her departure had snapped a string, Rifka dropped to the floor with a grunt, wrapping her arms around her head and curling up into a tight ball.

It took Kanda a moment to break out of his stunned silence. He ran over to her, knelt, and slowly reached out to touch her shoulder again. Her body was trembling like a live wire, her muscles tense. He could see the knuckles in her fists were white, and blood was running from the cuts her claws were making in her palms.

"Rifka...?"

"The room… oh god it's spinning so fast…" She gasped and shuddered, and he watched her, horrified. After a moment her body slowly unfurled, and Kanda watched as she slowly climbed to her feet, seeing a dark, seething aura burning around her. She seemed steadier though, and forced herself to relax her hands, which caused her blood to trickle freely down her fingers. "I know how to wake them up now, Kanda…"

He was dumbfounded, and followed her over to the room where the others were still lying unconscious. He didn't like the way she kept wavering from side to side like that. "Rifka, what happened to you?"

She clenched a fist again, pressing it against the doorway when she reached it. Her whole body shook, and she leaned forward, clutching the doorjamb and pressing her forehead against it. She took several gasps of air, but it didn't seem to be helping. When she spoke, her voice was a raw snarl. "Kanda… that fight you had… the one that killed you… Was it a Noah?"

Kanda stared at her silently for a moment. "Yeah, actually, it was."

Rifka nodded. "They're really strong, aren't they?" Her chest was still heaving and she leaned her head back with a shudder. "Well, I can now say from experience, Allen and Lavi… they were right. Rhode Kamelot is… really good at what she does."

Pushing off, Rifka lurched into the small room, startling Damon and Melody in their vigil over the forms of Lavi and Lenalee. Allen, Krory, Noise and Miranda were also standing by, tense and worried. All of them were exhausted from the seemingly endless Akuma battle, but even so she noted that Damon had tried to use his Bandages, only to no avail.

"They're not wounded," he told her solemnly, "not a single scratch…"

"I-I tried to sing them awake, but," Melody looked apologetic, her face flushed as though she had been both yelling and crying earlier, "my words weren't good enough to reach them. I'm still so new at this, I'm so sorry I wasn't more useful…"

"It's not _you_," Rifka's lip curled as she spoke, and she looked away, not wanting to see their reactions to the harsh sound of her voice. "It's _them_. They can't _hear_ you. Rhode has them locked up. Luckily though, I found the key."

She shook out her hands and dropped into a crouch. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she let out a wordless shout as she transformed into Darkpaw's animal form again. She moved to stand over her friends and seemed to look over them slowly, and then released a thunderous roar that shook the very floor and walls around them. The others saw something break in the air and gazed around them in wonder as tiny little puzzle pieces began to fall to the floor before vanishing.

Rifka transformed back, falling to her hands and knees and clutching a hand to her chest, panting raggedly, her breath rasping painfully in her throat. Blood was running heavily from her hands now, smearing over the front of her jacket. "_Hah_… Ow, Goddammit… _hah_… _ha_ – Ow – now, _wake the hell up already!"_

Lavi was first to stir. Rifka jerked her head up with a victorious grin and forced her way back onto her feet, leaving two small pools of blood on the floor. Melody threw her arms into the air, ecstatic. "Riffie, you did it!" Her expression switched to alarm. "Riffie, you're bleeding!"

But rather than accept her congratulations, or acknowledge their concern, Rifka immediately turned away from them and stumbled out of the room. In her haste she caught her shoulder on the doorjamb with a heavy grunt. Concerned to see his normally graceful friend stumbling around so much, Allen reached out for her, but she lashed out at him, smacking his hand away sharply, and kept walking.

Confused and hurt, Allen joined the others in staring at her in alarm. Kanda bared his teeth at her, unwilling to show his concern for her in front of everyone. "Dammit Rifka, what's wrong with you?!"

"I'm alright, okay?!" She stopped walking, her shoulders drawn up tight around her neck. "Okay, I'm _not_ alright, but I just… I need to be _alone_ with this!" She rolled her shoulders, then her neck, and started stalking away again, growling heatedly. "I gotta let this _out_ or I'm gonna hurt somebody! And I don't care if you could heal through it, Kanda, I don't want it to be you!"

* * *

Once outside Rifka pressed her hands against the side of the building. The foundation was made of stone and she bared her teeth, starting to gasp as though she had been holding her breath. Her dark eyes flashed green, her fingers growing into Darkpaw's heavy claws, and she began to tear into the building, gouging deep scars into the bricks and tearing out large chunks, screaming as her emotions overwhelmed her.

* * *

Wondering if he should have let her go so easily, Kanda watched her leave the building before turning back to see that Lenalee was sitting up now and Lavi was helping her to her feet.

"Kanda," Lenalee looked around, "what happened? Where's Rifka?"

"We were attacked by the Noah. Rhode knocked us all out and went after Rifka, and…" Kanda glanced over his shoulder. They could all hear the distant sound of her screaming outside. "Whatever she did… it must have really touched a nerve. We should leave her alone until she's… finished."

The others looked shocked, staring at the door before looking back to Kanda. Allen looked furious. "Is that what's going on with her? How can you say that we should make her deal with it alone? We should go help her!" He stormed toward the door.

"No!" Kanda grabbed him and shoved him back forcefully. Allen swung his clawed hand at him but Mugen was there to meet him. Allen was startled by the calm, serious look in Kanda's eyes. "You don't understand. Back when she was first brought in and the trainers from Central were teaching her to be human again… She didn't exactly make it easy. I didn't know her very well, but I heard she had a violent temper." He glanced at Lenalee. "You remember?"

Lenalee bit her lip, nodding slowly. She reached out to take Allen's arm, drawing it back down to his side. He blinked at her, confused. "I remember it was very easy to set her off. She usually wore herself out quickly, locking herself in her room, but she always destroyed everything she got her hands on."

Pushing Allen back again with a soft _che_, Kanda put Mugen away and folded his arms across his chest, closing his eyes. "I doubt she'll ever tell anyone what happened, but she's as raw now as she used to be back then. And she's a lot _stronger_ now – do you understand yet?"

"She wants to be alone to avoid hurting any of us…" Lenalee pressed her hands to her heart. "It's so awful… I hope she's going to be okay."

Kanda sighed, his usual stern expression returning to his face. "I'm sure she'll be fine; she just needs to cool off…"

* * *

Kanda lingered in the small room just long enough to make sure everyone was okay and didn't have any after-effects of Rhode's knock-out spell. Once he was satisfied there weren't going to be any more surprises, he silently withdrew and headed outside in search of Rifka. He figured he had given her enough time by now.

Stepping outside, he saw the rubble strewn across the ground and looked around in awe. The area looked like another battle had occurred while everyone was inside talking. The carnage and destruction trailed off toward the left and he followed it, hearing someone panting from behind the trunk of a tree. It showed the signs of having been on the receiving end of the last bits of Rifka's tantrum, leaning drunkenly to one side with half of its roots sticking out. There were shallow claw marks across one side.

He went to the tree and sure enough, he found Rifka hiding behind it. She was sitting against the foot, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her head. Her hands and clothes were drenched in her own blood, and her whole body was shaking.

He sighed when he saw the state she was in, crouching down beside her. "Are you done, Kitten?"

"I… yes, I think so…" her voice was hoarse and exhausted, but normal-sounding, "I'm sorry. I'm being… difficult, again, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but it's all right. I still like you." He gathered her gently into his arms and carried her back toward the others. By now they were standing outside the doors, staring around at the ruined building and trees just like he had done a moment ago.

"You know…" she whispered into his shoulder, "that's the first time you've ever said that to me… I liked how it sounded…"

He smirked. "Don't let it go to your head." He jerked his chin at the others when he joined the group. "Come on. Let's get out of here."


	20. Exhaustion

A weary group of Finders returned from their mission, pausing before the gatekeeper to be scanned. They glanced around uneasily as they waited; perhaps somehow sensing they were being watched, though unable to see by whom.

Moodily, Rifka watched the Finders file into the building after they were cleared. The sun on the ledge where she was sitting had been really warm earlier, but now the sun had moved on and it was getting dark. She slumped back against the wall with a heavy sigh and drew her knees up so she could rest her wrists on them.

Her guitar was beside her and she drew it across her lap, absently brushing at the chords as she stared off into the sky. Her hands were too numb and heavily bandaged to do much else. After a moment, her eyes slowly slipped closed, and her head drooped forward…

_Komui arrived in the infirmary. Damon was standing by her bed, using his bandages on her wounded hands while she bravely bared her teeth against the pain. He had stopped the bleeding and was working on repairing the savaged flesh of her palms._

"_Rifka," Komui spoke to her gently, "I hear you've been very hard on your Innocence lately…"_

_She snapped her eyes open with a sharp inhalation and looked quickly at the door. Komui's arms were laden with oversized tools that looked more like he was about to go gold mining or well-digging. He slowly went toward her._

"_No! Not that! P-please don't! NOT THAT! I'm fine! I'M FIIIIIIIINE!"_

_The castle echoed with her shrill screams – until they abruptly cut off._

With a gasp, Rifka's shoulders hit the wall behind her as she jerked violently out of the dream. Her chest heaved with phantom panic until she got control of herself again. She leaned her head back, cursing tiredly.

For _days_ she had been trying to sleep, but the tortured memories of her childhood just wouldn't fade away. And now it seemed even her _current_ memories were joining in. She wasn't able to ignore them anymore; she couldn't manage to clear her mind. It was as though she were looking through a photo album of every bad day she'd ever had, and somehow just couldn't close the book. And as a result she kept… feeling…

"Stop it… just stop it, already… haven't you done enough? Stupid brain…" She whispered to herself, pressing a hand against her chest in an attempt to stop the ache. She put her other hand over her eyes and squeezed them shut, feeling the tears running down her cheeks again. "Why must you keep doing this to me…?"

"Hey," someone murmured, startling her, "so you're up here after all! I was right!"

Rifka jumped and flailed, her heart racing again. She turned sharply to find Allen climbing up the side of the wall. She blinked, bewildered, and quickly wiped at her face so she wouldn't be caught crying. "Allen! What are you doing here?!"

"You never answer your golem and no one could find you anywhere, so we were all getting really worried. I wondered if you had gotten lost, but then I remembered what General Nine had said about your hiding place…"

She leaned back against the wall again when he started talking, sighing, and her gaze wandered away from him. "Worried? About what…?"

Allen stared at her. "Are you kidding? After everything you went through? You're in pain, Riffie; I can see it in your eyes… And friends don't let friends suffer alone!"

He came toward her and she looked at him, shaking her head. She held out her arms, trying to hold him back. "You don't understand! When I can't control my emotions, Darkpaw tries to protect me. Allen, I don't want to hurt you! Please get away from me!"

Surprising her, kind and gentle Allen pressed his lips into a firm line and stood his ground. "No! You always struck me as someone strong and confident, Rifka! I certainly didn't think you were the type to run away from your problems! Was I wrong?"

His words seemed to stun her into silence. Blushing furiously, she looked away, clenching her jaw and flexing her hands, unable to make a fist through the heavy bandages. She was aware that he was waiting for an answer.

She took a breath, and her voice was raw. "I _hate_ the way I feel when I remember all the things that happened to me… It hurts! And these memories don't do me any good, Allen! Why won't they go away? They _used_ to go away! I used to be able to _forget_…"

Her voice broke and she hid her face. She sensed movement and lifted her head to find him kneeling beside her. "Allen, wait, don't…" He ignored her and slid his arms around her. She panicked at first, looking at her hands, but she saw no sign that she was losing control. He was warm and steady and so surprisingly comforting that she relaxed. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder and closed her eyes with a sigh, letting him hold her.

"Still think Darkpaw will attack me?" He teased her gently.

Rifka sighed again and smiled ruefully, wrapping her arms around him to hug him tightly, not opening her eyes yet. "Allen… You're so nice…" She trailed off and he moved to sit beside her, keeping his arm around her shoulders. She shifted so she could lean against him.

"Before that Akuma at the mansion…" Allen looked at her when she began to speak unexpectedly, "and definitely before Rhode… I used to have these violent flashbacks of what happened when I was a kid. The memories used to come at night, keeping me from sleeping, sometimes for nights on end, until I was so shaky and touchy from lack of sleep that the slightest poke would set me off…"

"Lenalee mentioned you often destroyed your room during your tantrums…" He grinned apologetically and held up his hands when he saw the sharp glint in Rifka's dark eyes. "Don't hold it against her, Riffie; she was trying to keep us all from running into the line of fire…"

Her lips twisted to the side and she let it go, leaning her head back against the wall behind them. She heaved another heavy sigh, emotionally exhausted. "Darkpaw wasn't _always_ in control, when I first acquired her. Most of the time I had control, but I was still a human child lost in the wild. She'd take over if a predator found me, or if an Akuma found me, but there were times when I would find signs of other humans. I would follow them to villages, trying to get help, but I didn't speak their language. At first they would try to help me, they clothed me and fed me and gave me a place to sleep, but then…"

"But then the Akuma would find you, wouldn't they?"

She nodded, pressing her lips together. He saw her eyes shine with tears of regret and turned his head to pretend he didn't see them falling silently down her cheeks. "I would transform and fight the demons… but they do so much damage so quickly. Even if no one died the villagers would throw me out. I eventually realized that they were calling me and the Akuma the same word."

"They called you a monster too, huh? It's actually pretty common for parasite-types. Krory and I get called that all the time."

"I'm sorry to hear that… but I guess it makes me feel better at the same time. I wish I had known that back then, though."

"It's all right now, Riffie…"

There was a ghost of a smile at the corners of her lips. Briefly, but he swore he spotted it. "It happened so often that it got to the point where the villages stopped taking me in. Not even for a minute would the tolerate me. They chased me back into the jungle; some of them even hunted me and tried to kill me, believing that I was a demon, and a bad omen.

"One day… A hunting party tracked me down and cornered me. I'd only felt such absolute fear one other time… and that was the night she came to me. She chose me because I had decided to fight instead of run… And just like back then, Darkpaw took me over… and she killed them." She closed her eyes, not wanting to see his face as she admitted to the worst of her sins. "I killed all of them… and everything else I found… until it all got quiet again."

"That's terrible! Riffie, I had no idea it was like that…"

"…You're the only one I've told…"

Astonished, he stared at her. "What? Not even Kanda?"

Rifka smiled slightly at his question, opening her eyes to stare moodily out at the sunset on the horizon. He watched her, seeing the way the setting sun glowed around her profile and set her dark hair on fire. "Somehow, he already seemed to know. It's why he and I don't talk. Whenever we're together, we never seem to need to say anything… For some reason, we just understand each other." She almost smiled again, but then she shook her head, pushing her hair back.

"Anyway… After the massacre I stopped looking for them – the villages, I mean. In fact, I really started avoiding them completely. If I came across another hunting party, or even just someone out alone, I would run away, worried that Darkpaw would attack them just to prevent them from hurting me. For seven years I lived like that. Alone, hated, frightened of my own kind and unable to speak to them…

"And then the Finders came. For the first time there were humans that weren't afraid of me. I was being attacked by Akuma and they helped me kill them." She flexed her hands, absently picking at loose strands on her bandages. "They weren't prepared to have to fight me, too. They had to shoot me," she opened her eyes at Allen's shocked exclamation, smiling patiently, "with a _tranquilizer_, silly. Then they carted me off to HQ. It sounds like you know the rest."

"Yeah, and I'm starting to think the people from Central have very odd priorities."

She gazed at him silently for a moment. "Allen, you really are too nice sometimes…"

He grinned and shrugged it off. "By the way, why couldn't we contact you with your golem? I don't think I've ever seen you use one, and I thought it was a mandatory accessory?"

"You're not the first one to ask…" Rifka fished into one of her pockets and drew out what looked to be a ball of string at first, but then it bounced on her palm, sprouted wings, and fluttered up over her head. She gazed up at it blandly, too tired to be anything more than just mildly embarrassed.

Allen stared at it, pointing. "It looks like a little kitty toy!"

"Exactly… I can't use this little bastard _anywhere_ and keep a straight face! And no one that looks at him can, either!" She saw that Allen was already laughing and growled, stuffing the golem back into her pocket.

Smothering his laughter and wiping his eyes, Allen got to his feet and offered her his hand. "Come back inside, Riffie. I'll get you some tea that will help you sleep without dreaming."

She took his hand and moved her guitar so she could get up. "But, I like _dreaming!_ It's the _nightmares_ that bother me!"

"Well, really, Riffie? Because I don't think anyone likes having _nightmares_… That would be creepy!"

They shared a laugh as they walked back into the castle, and Allen looked over at her with a smile. "There, I got you to laugh. Do you feel better?"

She looked over at him and he could see the haunted shadows beneath her eyes, and even though she was smiling, she still seemed painfully sad. "I think I'm starting to, yes. Thank you, Allen…"

They went to the cafeteria and Jeri brewed them the tea Allen asked for. Rifka mumbled something about preferring coffee, for which Allen had to remind her that he was trying to help her _sleep._ When she had finished the tea, he walked her to her room.

He had to open the door for her because of her bandages. She stepped inside and turned around to him again. "I've been saying thank you a lot, Allen, but I owe you an apology, too."

He blinked at her, and she stared at his innocent face in wonder. "What, have you already forgiven me? You really let it go, just like that?"

"What are you talking about?" He blinked as he began to remember. He started to blush. "Uh, do you mean, for that one time…"

"Darkpaw did some really mean things to you, Allen… I want to apologize for that. If there had been any other Exorcists available for that mission, I would have been locked in my room."

He gawked at her. "That's insane! Why would they do a terrible thing like that?"

"Because it was _that_ time for me – for Darkpaw – and I always try to stay in my room during that time. If I'm around people when Darkpaw goes into Heat, I get insanely aggressive, and not just violently, you saw that. We were lucky that it was just you and Kanda. If the others had been there, or if you'd been alone… I could have actually hurt you."

"I saw Kanda, before you woke up…"

Rifka's expression changed. There was a flicker of worry in the dark brown depths of her eyes. Was she going to have to apologize again? "…Was he hurt, badly?"

Allen shook his head. "By the time I'd come back with the others, he was healed. Tired maybe, but completely healed. He was actually asleep when I got there."

Some of the old fire came back into her gaze. "What! That _bastard!_ He teased me _all day_ about how seriously I'd fought him, but he just took a nap afterwards?! Oh, I am going to kick his ass!"

Allen laughed and watched her calm herself down. She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek, ruffling his hair fondly. "Thank you again, Allen. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rifka. I hope you're able to sleep tonight."

"Me too…" She shut the door.

Allen turned away and folded his arms behind his head, smiling to himself as he walked off. He felt warm inside, and he had finally gotten that long conversation with Rifka he'd always wanted. Maybe it wasn't the best topic, but it was what she had needed, and he truly felt closer to her now. He felt he understood her a lot better too, now that he knew what she had gone through, and what she dealt with day to day.

He knew what it felt like to be alone. He had felt that way before. He had seen his world come to an end, he had wondered if the Innocence was all he had left… and then Cross had sent him to Headquarters. He had met everyone and been welcomed into the family like he'd always been part of it. Because of that, he knew how important the Order had become to Rifka, because they felt the same way.

They were a family. They belonged here, and always would.

Smiling to himself, Allen changed course and headed back to the cafeteria for a snack.


	21. Sincerity

His appetite finally sated, Allen headed back to his room and spotted Kanda just about to turn the corner that would take him to his own room. Remembering that he had found Rifka, he flagged him down and ran over.

Kanda frowned at him. "What is it, Moyashi?"

"It's _Allen,_ stupid Kanda!"

As expected, the samurai made no indication that he'd been corrected. "What do you want?"

Allen frowned up at him. "Never mind, it's nothing," he turned and started walking away casually, "I just thought you might like to know that I found her, that's all."

"Wait!" Kanda grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around. "Where was she?"

"She was on the ledge above the Gatekeeper."

Kanda closed his eyes with a faint smile. "Tch, I should have known…" He looked at Allen again. "Is she all right?"

Allen looked over his shoulder thoughtfully. "Exhausted, mostly… she hasn't been sleeping."

"Damn. So that's what's bothering her."

"You know, she's in her room right now…"

Kanda stared at him. "So? Why are you telling me all of this?"

Allen flailed his arms at the impossible Kanda. "Are you serious?! I know you guys don't like talking or whatever, but you should try being there for her more!"

Rage colored Kanda's cheeks. "What do you know about it, Moyashi?!"

Allen grinned wickedly, backing away from Kanda. "Oh, I know because she told me… She actually _likes_ talking to _me…"_

There was a strange, torn look on Kanda's face. Allen paused. "Uh, what's wrong, Kanda?"

The taller exorcist snapped out of it and bared his teeth at him. "I can't decide what would be the most painful way to kill you!"

Allen wasn't sure he believed him, but you never could tell with Kanda. "Just go see her, you idiot! Worry about it later!"

With a growl, Kanda shoved Allen away and stormed down the hall to Rifka's room. Snickering, Allen headed off.

* * *

Rifka stood at her bed, staring down at her bandaged hands. She had a terrible dilemma. How in the bloody blue blazes was she supposed to get undressed? She'd managed to get some of her buttons undone, but now her fingers were sore and she was so exhausted she was ready to give up and sleep in her clothes.

Someone knocked on the door. She bit her lip. "Come in, please. I can't turn the knob for you right now." When she heard the door open, she looked over her shoulder. Surprised, she turned to watch Kanda slip inside and close the door behind him.

They stared at each other, and after a moment Kanda looked down to the side. "Walker told me you haven't been sleeping."

"It's the truth. He got some tea for me that should help me sleep tonight. I'm really tired, Kanda… I'm so tired I can't even finish my fucking buttons…"

"If you want someone to baby you, you should get over yourself and go to the infirmary."

His harsh words made her open her mouth to protest. She opened her eyes to glare at him, only to find him standing right in front of her. She started, surprised, but her reactions were slowed. The tea must finally be catching up to her. Curious, she glanced up at his face and saw him looking patient and concerned, and then she understood.

His hands were light and gentle as he helped her out of her jacket, which he then hung up on a peg on the wall. She turned and they were both blushing as he undid the clasp on her bra and helped her out of that, as well. His fingers lingered on her skin and she slowly crossed her arms over her breasts, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, it's fine. I just… Riffie, I'm… I never knew it had been this bad… You've kept them all hidden this whole time, haven't you?" He touched the long, jagged whipping scars. She shivered in response and closed her eyes, and he jerked his hands away. "Do they still hurt?"

She smiled and chuckled softly. "No, silly… They're old by now… They just don't get touched a lot." She opened her eyes again and turned to her nightstand. "Kanda, will you help me with something else?" She got out Bookman's jar of ointment. "I'm supposed to use this twice a day on all of them, but I can't reach those…"

He blinked a little and took the jar from her. He looked into her eyes. He hated to see her so worn out, but there was something else in her eyes that he liked better; Trust. He nodded and smiled softly, opening the jar and beginning to apply the balm to her scars.

When he finished he found that she was shivering again. "Are you _sure_ it doesn't hurt, Kitten? I would have stopped if you told me to."

She grinned and managed a soft, dry laugh. "For the last time, no, they don't hurt me anymore. _Really,_ I promise."

"Then why do you keep shaking…?"

She sighed, smiling slightly. "If I had the energy to give you sass, I'd tell you it's because I'm _cold,_ and then I'd call you a jackass and tell you to give me my shirt already." She reached down and picked up her shirt, momentarily lost in thought. After a moment, she slipped the shirt on and then turned to face him.

He blushed, but forced himself not to step back or look away. "Komui used so much anesthetic I can't feel her at all right now. I never thought it would be so utterly _quiet_ without her. No extra input, no running commentary… No second set of emotions to sort out… I feel _alone._"

He reached up to brush her hair back from her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "You're not, Riffie. I'm right here."

"I know." She looked up at him. "Kanda… there's a lot of stuff I want to tell you, about me. I don't care if you've already guessed some of it, okay? I don't care if anyone else already told you, either. I… I don't know when, but soon. I want to tell you everything."

He shrugged, watching her thoughtfully. "Okay."

"Kanda…"

"What?"

"We like each other, right? So we should be honest with each other… right?"

He made a face, not appreciating her awkward questions. "Christ, Rifka! I think I like you better when you're being forward."

She lowered her head. "I know. I just…"

"_What,_ already? Stop fidgeting and come out with it! _What?"_

She hesitated. "Do you worry about it, at all? That the one that wants you is Darkpaw, and not me?"

He hoped this wasn't a trick question and shook his head slowly. "Either way I figured you were a package deal, Kitten."

"Well, since she's not here right now… _I'd_ like to find out for sure."

"What do you mean?"

He had barely voiced the question when he found her in his arms. He felt her arms slipping around his shoulders, her fingers in his hair gently drawing him down to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he felt her lips on his, and a shiver of surprise fluttered through him at how soft and tender she seemed. It stunned him to think that the real Rifka might actually be a complete opposite to the naturally aggressive, demanding Darkpaw.

They were slightly breathless when they parted and he stared down at her. "_Rifka_…"

She smiled up at him, and he thought he saw some of the old playfulness in her eyes. "Mmmm… So _I'm_ the one that likes the way you call my name. That's one point for me."

"You're so much different from her…"

Her dark eyes were earnest, an emotion he hadn't seen from her since long ago, back in the woods where he'd caught the feral girl staring at him while he trained with his sword. He smiled at the memory, touching her cheek. He wondered if she was remembering it, too.

* * *

She was running. She liked running because it was the only thing that reminded her of being free. She could let the wind clear her thoughts until nothing was left but the sound of the breath in her lungs and her feet thudding over the ground.

She burst into a clearing and saw him.

He was blindfolded, shirtless and dressed in long, loose pants. In his hands he gripped a sword, and she recognized it as the one he always carried with him. He was cutting the air with great, graceful swoops, shifting and turning smoothly through a well-practiced routine.

Skidding to a stop in surprise, she sank to her haunches to stare at him. She had seen him in passing, but they had never spoken before, and she had never seen anyone doing something like this. She had never seen anyone else like _him_, either.

Long, blue-black hair was tied back in a tight tail. He had pale-almond skin and a lean, muscular frame… and a strange black symbol tattooed over his heart. She shivered at the silence that surrounded him, peaceful, yet intimidating.

_He's so silent and quick;_ Darkpaw purred to her, _do you find him attractive, too? You must, or you wouldn't already be blushing! Don't worry,_ the beast was laughing, teasing her, _I approve!_

"Behave! I don't even know his name!"

_So, what? You don't know your name either!_

"Are you just going to sit there talking to yourself, cat-girl?"

She was startled by the sound of his voice. Just like the vision of him, his voice was quiet and intense, making her pay close attention to his words to avoid missing what he said. It sent a ripple through her that made her swallow. "Am sorry to disturb, did not intend." For the first time, she found herself wishing her English was better.

_Oh ho,_ taunted Darkpaw,_ finally found a reason to stop antagonizing your tutor, have you?_

She gritted her teeth, silently willing the beast to shut up.

He had removed his blindfold and was looking across the clearing at her with his dark, slanted eyes. After a moment, he sighed. "What are you staring at?"

She blinked, puzzled by the question, and canted her head to the side. "…You?"

He closed his eyes, as if she were trying his patience. "_Obviously,_ but why?"

She grinned at him. She liked this guessing game! "Is because you pretty? What is name – whoop!"

She planted her hands on the ground and rolled forward swiftly to avoid the sudden stabbing slash of his sword. He followed her and she pushed up onto one hand to avoid his next attack with a back-flip. Rising to her feet and swirling around on her toes she turned to face him, her eyes glittering at him brightly. She was enjoying his challenge.

Apparently, he liked the challenge, too, because he was grinning. "You're quick…"

She lifted her hands. "Naturally."

"Naturally?"

"Da. Yes."

"It's not natural for most people."

She grinned again, flexing her hands. "I have Darkpaw. You quick too though, so, maybe more natural than you think?"

"You might have a point." He lifted his sword. "Want to go again?"

Her heart fluttered excitedly and she shook out her hands, sinking into a ready stance. At her nod, he attacked. He had expected her to dodge and evade again, but this time she counter-attacked, too. Lunging inside the reach of his sword, she grabbed him by the shoulders and brought him down onto the ground.

Caught by surprise, he fell beneath her, grappling with her until he could roll backward onto his shoulders and kick her off of him. He saw her expressive eyes registering surprise of her own as she flew away, but when she landed she rolled right up onto her feet. He scrambled to get up and grabbed his sword, turning to face her. He saw her legs twitching as she gathered energy into the toned muscles, preparing to jump.

She launched but he was ready this time. He spun to the side and she missed, though instead of hurtling right by him, she dug in her toes and went into a spin of her own. Their bodies circled tightly around one another and he saw her eyes glinting excitedly as they dodged around the clearing for several more minutes. He felt they were evenly matched, as neither seemed to gain on the other.

And then, suddenly he was on the ground again, pinned beneath her by a weight he hadn't expected from someone smaller than him. She leaned slowly over him, and he began to blush as she brushed the tip of her nose up along his throat. A shiver ran through him and he caught his breath.

"What – what are you doing?"

She pulled back with a gasp, blushing brightly, suddenly becoming aware that she had straddled him and was holding him down. She jerked herself backward onto her feet and backed away, staring at him.

That's when he noticed her eyes had turned from brown to green. Her face was a mask of apology, but her eyes… those eyes were hungry. He sat up slowly, calming his racing heart.

"I… apologize… many times I apologize…" She was still breathing hard, her hands flexing, and gradually her eyes shifted back to brown. Hunger was replaced by a deep sincerity.

He was intensely curious. "What was that, just now?"

"That… Darkpaw," She sounded less breathless now, but her face was still scarlet. "She… got _out_, a little."

"Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly and flashed him a small grin. He could tell she didn't make that face very often, for it showed the tips of her long, sharp canines.

"So your Innocence is what makes you strong and fast like that?" He got to his feet, dusting himself off and making sure there weren't any leaves in his hair. She grinned as she watched him preen.

_WANT._ Darkpaw's voice growled in her mind. The interruption made her gasp sharply and she shivered, trying to resist the flush of desire through her senses. "_No_, now behave!" She whispered urgently in Russian.

"You've said that word twice now," he was looking at her again. Curious, he walked toward her, "what's it mean?"

Heat flushed her cheeks again and she backed away. "Darkpaw is… naughty cat. I tell her _behave,_ but… she never listen."

He chuckled. "Naughty? What do you mean?"

She shook her head; continuing to back away as he advanced, as though suddenly shy. "You know… _naughty."_

She bumped into a tree and he trapped her there with his arms, grinning as he looked down into her eyes. "What does she want?"

Her brown eyes shimmered green again and he watched them in awe, so he was caught quite unprepared when she snaked her arms around his chest and pulled him down into a heated kiss. He felt her leg hook over his hip, keeping him from backing away.

They both gasped for breath when she released him. Dizzy, he put his hands against the tree again, staring down at her. "Oh… So _that's_ what she wants…?"

He was pleased to see that her face was flushed, too. He felt better knowing he wasn't the only one taken off guard by what seemed to be happening. She struggled for a moment, but her eyes gradually turned brown again. "I not… supposed to… give control…"

He had to grin at that. "But you are. So you're disobeying right now, huh?"

She was looking up at him, her deep eyes thoughtful. Her hands began to tighten on his shoulders and she leaned her head back. Compelled, he bent toward her again…

"**RIFKA!**"

Her eyes flew open with a gasp at the infuriated shout, breaking them apart, and she smiled sheepishly. "Oops."

"RIFKA, IF YOU'RE NOT BACK IN THIS ROOM IN **FIVE** MINUTES I'LL GIVE YOU DRILLS FOR A **MONTH**!"

"Ack! I think she mean it! Gotta go!" Pushing Kanda away, she took off running. With one strong leap she landed against the side of a tree, and then pushed off to vault herself onto another. A few more jumps and swings and she was now sprinting along a thick, outstretched limb.

Curious, Kanda followed her on the ground until he could see her slipping into an open window on a floor several stories up. It must have been her dorm room that she'd snuck out of. He chuckled and shook his head. He had a feeling he was going to see her again.

* * *

"Please," Rifka whispered, drawing him back to the present, "don't wait for her to wake up, Yuu. I don't know who I'll be in the morning…"

"Kitten, I've seen you. You're stronger than she is. You can be anyone that you want."

"I want to be the one you're in love with…"

He smiled, looking down into her dark, chocolate-brown eyes. "Well, that should be easy, then." Her gaze was still so sincere; it made him want to reassure her a million times. But he had never been very good at putting his emotions into words; he had always believed that actions spoke better.

So he took her into his arms and showed her.

He felt something through the shirt and glanced down. "No way... it's true?"

Her reply was a soft laugh before she redirected his attention.


	22. She wasn't fibbing

Her window faced the East, which she'd always liked. The morning sun woke her gently, and she groaned happily in her throat as she unfurled in a long, luxurious stretch. Her bed was warmed by the body beside her and she gazed at him thoughtfully as she sat up, letting the sheets slip down around her waist. She looked down at her bandages and flexed her hands, closing her eyes with a heavy sigh of relief when she could feel it. She had been worried the sensation might never come back to her hands. She carefully unwrapped her bandages, continuing to flex her fingers and wrists. She had new scars on her palms, but she thought they seemed small, and would fade easily.

She looked over at the man beside her. "You know, this is the second time you've let me catch you sleeping…" She smiled playfully and leaned down slightly, whispering softly into his ear. "If you're not careful, I might start thinking you trust me." She reached over him to grab the brush sitting on the nightstand.

Kanda's hand swiftly caught her wrist, startling her, and he held her fast. He slowly opened his eyes and they glinted at her dangerously, but there was a twitch to the corners of his mouth, hinting at playfulness. "I know better now… I sleep with one eye open around you."

She grinned at his words and pressed against him so she could reach her brush, staring into his eyes. "Just so you know, I consider that an invitation." She kissed him swiftly, catching him off guard, and when she pulled away she had a small, self-satisfied smile on her face.

Sitting up again, she untied her hair and combed it out with her fingers for a moment before beginning to tame the unruly waves with the brush. Her eyes closed half way and her head tilted slightly – she seemed to enjoy this particular chore. It was probably a cat thing. The sun filtering in through the window lit her tanned skin and the highlights in her hair.

Pushing up on his elbows, Kanda watched her, momentarily struck. He'd never noticed how much red and copper was in her hair until just now. He took advantage of the moment to simply look at her, watching the subtle roll of toned muscle beneath smooth, healthy skin, listening to the rustle of her brush over her silky hair.

She swept her hair back behind her to finish the top half, lifting her arms up behind her head, causing her back to arch. He gradually began to realize that the pose was doing beautiful, provocative things to her breasts, and let his gaze wander.

"I still can't believe that it's true…"

"Hmm?" She paused halfway through braiding her hair into a long tail, opening her eyes to look at him curiously. "What's true?"

He reached out and casually flicked the small, silver hoop dangling from her nipple. She responded with a quick gasp and a small, restrained shiver. Then she laughed, resuming her braid. "You thought I was fibbing just to tease Allen?"

"Yes, I did."

"In the early days, right after I got Darkpaw, I was still pretty desperate to find humans. I felt that if I found people, they would help me get home to my father. I couldn't tell you how long I searched, but I stumbled upon a hunting party one day and they took me to their village. I don't know if they wanted to help me or keep me, but they were kind to me, from what little I recall.

"Both the men and the women pierced themselves in all sorts of places. Maybe it was a status symbol, or maybe it was art, but I guess I'll never know. Either way, I thought it was attractive."

She shrugged her shoulders and slid from the bed, opening her wardrobe and casually starting to dress. She kept talking, so he lounged in the bed and watched her, continuing to listen. He could see her scars on either side of her braided pony tail and an idea came to him.

"When I think about it, it's hard to remember, but I feel like I was with them for a while. Maybe it was about three months. That's how long it took the Akuma to track me down. They attacked the village, looking for me, and they killed a lot of people I'd come to think of as friends.

"My Innocence activated. I transformed. I killed the Akuma. The villagers became frightened of me. They didn't know what was happening, but even they could tell I had been the target. I was cursed. I was unsafe. They begged me to leave, and I did it to spare them. Other villages weren't so kind. Word spread fast, and within the year it was Open Season on yours truly."

"Open Season…?"

She had pulled on her underwear and was scowling thoughtfully at her clothes. When he spoke from just behind her she jumped and he grinned. It was one of their oldest games, trying to sneak up on one another. "It means all hunters were given permission, actual _specific_ orders, to shoot at me to scare me away. Like I'd become the new local predator, or a rabid animal." She glared at him, but her curiosity won over her chagrin. "What are you doing?"

He held up a jar. "You said you need this twice a day. Keep telling me your story." He started applying the balm to her scars, feeling her relaxing under his hands. She didn't tremble like she had the other night – maybe she really had been cold. Not nervous or in pain as he'd originally thought.

She took a moment to enjoy the intimacy before resuming. "Other villages were simply told to kill me on sight, that I was a demon, an Outsider. They believed I didn't belong there. I couldn't bring myself to hate them for it, either. Part of me agreed."

She picked out a long, dark-blue tunic paired with silver leggings and once he had finished with the balm, she began to get dressed. Her sword belt was looped around her waist and she slid her daggers out, checking the blades to be sure they were clean before sliding them away again.

"All the same, when I hit puberty, I did my nipples just like those women from that first village. I didn't want to forget them. I didn't want to forget the lesson I had learned while I was there."

"What lesson was that?" While she was finishing getting dressed he had gotten dressed as well. He finished tying up his hair and came to stand beside her again.

"Ignorance," she told him, "is dangerous."

He thought about that for a moment, and nodded his head in approval. "So, did it hurt? The piercings, I mean."

"Sure, it hurt, but… I was surprised that… well, at the same time, it didn't feel _bad_."

Her statement made him stare at her and her cheeks colored slightly, but her eyes glittered back at him defiantly. "What? You don't stop me from biting you, do you?" She reached up to tease her fingertips over the fresh bruise and teeth marks on his neck, just below his left ear.

He caught her hand quickly, trying to stifle a shiver, but the grin on her lips told him she had felt it. She pressed against him, staring up into his eyes. "It's the same thing. It hurts when I bite you," she purred to him in a low, sultry voice, "but you still like it. I know because you make all kinds of noises every time I do it… It really turns me on."

She released him so he could blush furiously in private, and went to find her boots. Kneeling down, she dug them out from under the bed.

Nodding to each other, they left the room and headed down to breakfast.

* * *

General Nine strode into the cafeteria while Rifka was just mid-way through her meal. Sitting across from her, Kanda saw her dark eyes dart sharply to the General and tension build along her shoulders. Sure enough, the General was on her way to their table.

"You could run." He murmured to her teasingly.

That dark gaze flicked back to him and she muttered under her breath. "Too late…"

"Drills today, Apprentice! I want to see what your new powers can do in action."

For a moment, Kanda swore Rifka was going to protest, but the moment quickly passed and she set her fork down. "Yes, Sensei…" She collected her plates and took them to the kitchen window, then went to follow her General out of the cafeteria.

"Oh, Kanda, I think I saw General Tiedoll on his way here, too." Nine said over her shoulder.

There was a soft crunch and crackle as Kanda's chopsticks snapped in half and fell to the table. Rifka's lips curved at the corners and her eyes danced.

"You could run…" He simply glared at her and she snickered softly as she left.

* * *

As she followed General Nine through the halls toward the gym, Rifka felt Darkpaw stirring from her drug-induced sleep.

_Hngh… what…? Was I sleeping?_

_"Good morning. And to answer your question, I guess so? I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up."_

Rifka received a mental image of the great black cat yawning and stretching. She smiled. _"Hey, hold still for a moment. Okay? I want to try something."_

_What?_

Rifka paused and closed her eyes to focus. An image flashed in her memory and she held onto it, sending it toward the jaguar. Her hand, pinned by another's, straining, but then their fingers laced together and clutched each other tightly.

The next image was of her lips, gasping a name between passionate, breathless kisses. She knew she was doing it right when she felt Darkpaw come to complete attention, ears up, tail still.

_What are you doing?_

_"Call it payback."_

The next image was of her back arching, her hands clutching the shoulders of her lover, both of them with eyes closed and teeth clenched.

_No way… You mean, you…_

The last image was of the pair passed out in the bed, sweaty and exhausted, their bodies tangled together.

_That's… amazing! And exciting! You finally claimed your Mate! Good job!_

Rifka abruptly no longer knew what she had expected from Darkpaw, but she blushed under the glowing praise and jogged to catch up to General Nine. The General had stopped at the end of the hallway when she noticed Rifka wasn't with her.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, Sensei, Darkpaw just woke up. That's all." They resumed their walk, and entered the gym.

_What will you name your kits? Do you know yet?_

She tripped. "MY WHAT?!"

_You're going to have babies, aren't you? I distinctly remember him saying he wouldn't be adverse to the idea._

_"That was an If/WHEN scenario! We're not planning anything like that yet!"_

Now Darkpaw sounded amused. _Do you _want_ to, though?_

Still blushing, Rifka smoothed her hair back and followed her General into the gym, surprised when she was led out the back into the fields beyond it. She took a deep breath. _"I don't think it would work… I don't think Exorcists get maternity leave, do they, in a job like this? I don't think the Order would let us go to raise a family, either. Our children would have to be raised here… and they would have to be tested for compatibility…"_

Darkpaw fidgeted in Rifka's melancholy silence. _Aw… Aw c'mon! Don't be sad! You're not pregnant so you don't have to worry about it. Cheer up!_

"If you're done talking to yourself, here's what you'll be working on today."

Rifka glanced sheepishly up at the General and came to stand beside her. The course was laid out with obstacles that were high, long, short and low. Some were walls, other were pits or pools. The edges were narrow, the path twisting. They stood at the beginning, and Rifka stared, in a combination of curiosity and disbelief. She turned to Nine.

"_This_, Sensei…?"

"This. Go ahead and run it at your own speed, get a feel for it."

"Okay…" Rifka removed her belt and boots and began to stretch. Once she was warmed up she looked to her General again. At her nod, she took off running. The first obstacle was a wall and she leapt, easily catching the top edge. She climbed over and dropped down onto the grass on the other side. Her eyes sought the path and she pushed off, hopping lightly onto a narrow balance beam that had been bent into an S-shape. It stood braced over a wide, muddy pool.

There was a loud, bursting hiss, and something small and red soared by her head. She gasped and hurried across the beam, not taking any chances that she might fall into the mud. "What was that?!"

She glanced back when she was safe on the grass, and saw General Nine was standing on a platform overlooking the course. She had some sort of air-cannon filled with the small red rubber balls.

"Akuma would not be this easy on you!" Nine shouted at her. "Get moving!" She turned the cannon and began to fire again.

Darkpaw hadn't known what to make of the course at first, but now she had decided, and Rifka could sense her alarm. _She's mad! Run!_

"Shit!" Rifka took off running again. The grassy area on the other side of the beam dropped off into another pool, this one of clear water. At least, she _hoped_ it was water. She decided at the last minute not to test it, so she poured a little extra energy into her legs and vaulted into the air. She hit the edge on the other side and tucked into a roll.

A distant POW warned her, and she rolled again, quickly, to the right and forward, just as another ball hit the ground where she had just been, breaking a divot in the dirt. She started running again, her heart pounding. Now she knew – if one of those balls hit her, it was going to hurt!

"Sensei, is that really necessary?" She jumped over a pit, catching the rope hanging over the middle, and swung to the other side. She glanced down and her mouth fell open in horror when she saw the bottom of the pit was writhing with live snakes.

"Akuma would not have snake pits, Sensei!" She shouted at the woman.

"How do you know?" Was the calm reply.

The rope deposited Rifka onto a huge cargo net and she scrambled up, ducking instinctively and seeing two more "bullets" whizz by her shoulders. Over the top of the net she went, prepared to drop down, only to see there was no ground. She found herself soaring down a sharply inclined slide. The end arched up and vaulted her into the air again. She flailed, searching frantically, and caught hold of the swing in front of her at the last minute.

She clung to the ropes and pulled herself up so she was standing on the swing's narrow platform. Her heart was racing and she took a moment to catch her breath. She heard the cannon and swung to one side just as the bullet soared by her head like an angry bee. She glanced down, seeing another large pool of water beneath her. At the other end of the pool was another rope to get out.

The cannon fired again, and again. Rifka pumped the swing until the sweeps were strong enough to rustle the wind through her hair, trying to focus and be ready for the bullets at the same time. There was a moment of weightlessness at the peak of the swing, and she knew the moment was right. On the next pass, she launched herself off the swing. She soared over the pool, twisted gracefully, and tilted down into a dive.

There was another cannon blast. She heard it, but couldn't do much about it. She twisted again, but felt the bullet strike her against the thigh. With a wasp-like buzzing it sped over her skin, tearing a rip in her leggings. Rifka had to bite down on a cry of pain, and moments later, she dropped into the water with a huge splash.

She surfaced with a gasp, gritting her teeth, and swam to the rope. She pulled herself up on the rope until she could step onto the ground again. She checked her thigh. The skin she could see through the rip in her leggings was red and angry, but not bleeding. It would probably bruise later.

POW! POW! Went the cannon again and she burst into a run, hearing the bullets hitting the ground at her feet. She cursed and sprinted down the path, seeing that she was coming to the start again.

"Good!" Nine called out to her, stepping away from the cannon. She held up a stopwatch. "Not a bad first time, Apprentice."

Back at the starting line and no longer under fire, Rifka put her hands on her knees and panted to catch her breath. When she saw Nine holding the stopwatch, she got a bad feeling. "By 'first time' you mean I'm running it again, don't you?"

_I think that's exactly what she means. What did you DO?_

_"Why do you assume this is punishment?! Have our training routines ever been easy?"_

…_Point._

"Right now, in fact." General Nine clicked a button on the stopwatch and strolled back behind the cannon. "Also, I'm going to deduct points any time you let me hit you."

"Shit!" Rifka bolted toward the first obstacle and started the course over.


End file.
